Rollin With the Dead
by Marine Amber
Summary: It was supposed to be a short, simple mission. 3 months tops. But fate always seems to have other plans. Now Leonardo is faced with choosing between what he's always known or what he feels in his heart. Blood will be spilled. Trust will be broken. But in the end, it could be his life on the line. The only thing for sure, is that nothing will be the same.
1. Chapter 1

**There are a few things I want to mention about this story.  
First, there will be tcest in later chapters, so if that's not your thing, well I'm ****afraid this story isn't for you. I had been debating for awhile to have it or not, but the end case of this story being more for me won out.  
I've been working on it since last year, writing for a couple months but then taking several months break. As of right now, I already have about 40,000 words written up. That's pretty big for me, and I don't plan to have a designated schedule for updates, but I'll probably try to update at least once a month, hopefully twice. Chapters will run about 3,000-7,000 in lengths, at least from what I've got written right now. The only exception being this first chapter.  
** **Another thing I'd like to mention is that this story is going to somewhat follow the actual show, that being TMNT 2012. I'll try to incorporate the episodes into this, but as it goes on, it'll follow the show less.  
** **Also, I started writing this back in September of last year I believe it was, and at that point a certain character hadn't been announced for the show yet. So that means I'll be using more of the IDW character. I liked how the story was going too much for me to make adjustments to match up with the show.  
The last thing I'd like to mention is I do have an OC in the first couple of chapters. She is strictly for some background and to have things make a little more sense, but that's it. I'm not a huge fan of OCs but I needed to have one for plot purposes. If you don't like OCs, fret not, she won't be here for long.  
** **Well this was a long introduction, but I wanted to put out some things I thought were important for you readers to know. And with that, enjoy.**

Holding the child close to his chest, Oroku Saki slowly walked away from the house burning behind him. The orange and golden flames lit up the dark night like a beacon, and the thick smoke billowed up into the air. It was difficult to miss and authorities were sure to show up soon enough, despite how far off the house was from a town. But none of that mattered to him. He would be gone long before anyone showed up to investigate.

The small child let out a small cry and he gripped her tighter, as if she was a lifeline. He looked down into her golden eyes as she opened them up. They looked so much like her mother's... Raw anger and grief rushed through the man's body at the thought of the woman he loved.

 _Silver blades slashed through the air, coming upon the downed man. Suddenly a flash of white and the blades met flesh, ripping through the soft skin. He heard himself shout, but time seemed to slow down._

 _Blood spurted out of the wound, staining the blades crimson as the woman collapsed. Yoshi let out a cry of despair and nearly fell upon Tang-Shen, desperately trying to stop the blood from pouring out of her body. But it was to no avail. A large pool of blood had already formed beneath her and steadily grew as each second passed; the man's cries became more frantic._

 _Saki stood watching the whole thing, his hand shaking. The silver gauntlet on his arm felt heavy, trickles of blood running off its tips and onto the ground. But he ignored it. The only thing he could see was the light fading from the woman's eyes. Yoshi's cries turned to anguished sobbing as Tang-Shens's breathing stopped._

 _The heat pouring off of the advancing flames awakened Saki from his trance, and with new fury raging through his veins, he shot towards the man still on the ground. He let out a cry of rage, alerting Yoshi who quickly reacted and kicked him away. Saki stumbled, his eyes blazing as he moved to attack again._

 _Suddenly a portion of the burning roof collapsed, falling onto him. He let out a screech of pain, the searing embers burning into his flesh as he fought them off. His face felt like it was on fire, but he opened his eyes only to discover Yoshi had gone. Letting out a final scream, full of fury and sadness, he swiftly heaved the burning wood laying on top of him and left the sweltering, unstable house._

 _The cool night air kissed his burning face as he stumbled out of the house. Saki turned back towards it, watching as another portion of the roof collapsed under the fire's brutal attack. He stood for another moment to catch his breath, when a small sound made him tense up. Turning towards a chair several feet away from him and moving towards it, he discovered something that made his blood run cold._

 _A small baby lay under the chair, its face scrunched up in discomfort as it let out a wail. He slowly picked up the child, slightly calming its cries at being encircled in warmth. His burning face was no longer felt as he stared down at her. Nothing but the crackling of the fire behind him bled into the night air. Saki held her close as he began to slowly walk away from the house. The blood continued to fall from his gauntlet._

* * *

Tears ran down Yoshi's face as he sprinted away from his home. His throat felt raw as his breaths caught into sobs at the thought of his beautiful wife lying dead in their burning home. Their daughter, Miwa, was no where to be found. Losing his wife was incredibly painful, but to think both of them, the two people he loved the most in this world, were ripped away from him in one night was too much for him to bear. And by the man he considered his brother.

He wanted more than anything to just collapse, but something kept him moving, running from the ones he loved. The ones that were dead. After the roof had collapsed on Saki, Yoshi had sprinted out to avoid meeting a similar fate. Part of him had wanted to stay. To lay down beside his wife's body and perish along with her. But he had moved, leaving the place he called home with a family that he loved more than anything.

Yoshi's pace decreased as he left the forest, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Slowly he turned back in the direction of his home. The bright flames were just barely visible now, only peaking over the top of the trees. The black smoke was barely visible in the dark night, only illuminated by the fire they were rising from. His heart ached at the sight. How could he have lost everything in one night? _Go. Move._ His father's words echoed in his mind. Yoshi reluctantly turned his back towards the flame and continued walking away from his life, his hands trembling by his sides.

He didn't know how long he walked, but eventually light began to light up the sky as dawn approached. Yoshi didn't look behind him. There wasn't anything to see. There wasn't anything left.

He came upon a small stream, collapsing beside it as his legs gave out. Yoshi was incredibly exhausted and bent down to gather some water in cupped hands, struggling to drink any with his hands shaking uncontrollably. His eyes found his reflection, and he barely recognized the face staring back at him.

Bloodshot eyes stared back into his, raw grief shining in them. His face was covered in soot, giving him a haunted look as he studied himself. Small tracks ran down his face from where his tears had washed away the soot, adding to the sorry state he found himself in. But he found that the look all but fit him. There was nothing left of Hamato Yoshi as he gazed down into his reflection, he realized. He had died alongside his wife after all. There wasn't anything left of him...

Slowly the man rose from his pitiful state. Hamato Yoshi was dead. Numbness ran through him as he stumbled away.

* * *

 _1 Year Later..._

The door slammed behind Oroku Saki as he entered his apartment, startling the nursemaid who had just gotten baby Karai to fall asleep. Karai's shrieking cries ripped through the adults' eardrums as she awoke and the nursemaid quickly began rocking the little girl again to calm her. Saki let out a small growl before stalking past the woman, who watched him pass with slight unease. He, however, ignored her troubled look and entered his bedroom.

The nursemaid, Hatsumi, eventually quieted down the small child while sending a worried glance towards the closed bedroom door. She had been hired by the man almost a year ago to care for his daughter while he went off to work. She knew that his wife and mother of the child was killed by some freak accident, but she didn't know the full details. However, Hatsumi had never been one to pry and she could tell the man still struggled with losing his wife. Her heart ached for him, knowing the pain of losing the one you loved. She had struggled with depression afterwards, but she knew the man had severe anger issues.

It slightly bothered her, knowing that he often lost control of his temper and she feared one day he might strike his daughter. But she always quickly shook the thought away. The man had offered her a job that paid well and as long as she cared for his daughter, she was good for life. She glanced back down to the drowsy child and she smiled. Karai was troublesome but truly special. Sometimes she often thought of the girl as her own. Hatsumi walked over to the child's room, quite large for a child her age, and gently laid Karai into her crib. Hatsumi picked up the child's favorite toy, a stuffed turtle, and put it beside her. Small hands latched onto the toy and Hatsumi let out a small laugh as the child cuddled it. Stroking the girl's head fondly, Hatsumi quietly left the room.

The woman was surprised to see Saki standing outside the girl's bedroom. She knew he was ninja, but sometimes he surprised her with how quiet a man of his size could be. "Oh hello Oroku-san. I just put Karai down for the night." She gave him a small bow, to which he seemed to ignore.

Saki looked over Hatsumi's shoulder, as he easily towered over her, and gazed at his daughter. Hatsumi noticed his stern glare slightly soften at seeing his daughter, and the woman couldn't help but smile. She knew he was a very dangerous individual, known for being quite cold, but she could tell how much he loved his daughter. The man's gaze quickly met hers and the stern glare she was familiar reappeared as quickly as if left. "I will be leaving early tomorrow morning and will busy most of the day. I expect Karai to be watched over the whole time."

Hatsumi gave another small bow. "Of course Oroku-san. She will be taken care of as always."

"I have also noticed we are running low on supplies here and they will need to be restocked." Hatsumi nodded, already knowing that she would have to go to the store and buy more groceries for the apartment. Most were used for Karai and herself, as she spent most of her days here, but Saki was rarely in his home. Instead the man was working long hours. When Hatsumi thought about it, she had never seen the man eat a thing in her 8 months of knowing him.

"Hai Oroku-san. I will do that as soon as I can tomorrow."

He nodded and turned, heading back to his bedroom. "You are dismissed for the day. Leave."

Hatsumi bowed again, habit really, and gave one last glance towards the sleeping Karai. Content with the girl's status, Hatsumi grabbed her jacket and apartment keys, wishing the man a goodnight, and went on her way.

The next day around 6am, Hatsumi arrived at Saki's apartment and used her spare set of keys he had given her to enter. It was quiet and dark. He had likely already left for the day. The woman walked to Karai's room, smiling warmly at seeing the girl still clutching the turtle toy and went to prepare breakfast for the both of them.

After Karai had awoken, the two ate and Hatsumi gave the child a bath. Content with her young charge's cleanness, Hatsumi quickly packed up several snacks for being in the market for a few hours. Saki had left some money on the counter for her to use, and she tucked it away into her bag before picking up the giggling Karai and leaving the apartment.

It was a rather dreary, cloudy day as the two made their way through a grocery store and a street market. Hatsumi had always enjoyed walking the market and seeing all the little trinkets and produce for sale. The young Karai loved it as well, pointing her chubby fingers at whatever interested her and giggling. Hatsumi fondly rolled her eyes. That girl was going to be trouble one day.

As the two came upon a stall with fresh carrots, Hatsumi set the struggling Karai down, and picked several of the vegetables and handed over some money. It had only been about five seconds since she last glanced down to make sure the child was nearby, when Karai was no longer there. Panic rushed through Hatsumi as she whipped around, franticly searching for the child in the growing crowd.

A sudden cry quickly caught her attention as she saw the child she was looking for trying to reach up to a table and grab whatever was on it over in a corner of the market. Letting out a quick sigh of relief, Hatsumi practically ran over to where Karai was. She was about to chide the child for scaring her like that, when she noticed what Karai was adamant about getting. A rectangular glass container sat on the table, holding a small turtle inside. It was incredibly small, no bigger than her palm, with leafy green skin freckled with some lighter spots on its head.

Karai began to whine when she couldn't reach the creature, prompting a chuckle from the man Hatsumi hadn't noticed sitting in the dark behind the table. "She's very interested in him isn't she?" He was an elderly gentleman with graying hair and kind eyes.

Hatsumi smiled at him. "Indeed. She's always been very fond of turtles. Her favorite toy is a stuffed one and she can't sleep without it." The two laughed, watching Karai continue to aimlessly reach the turtle. Tears started to pool in the girl's golden eyes and her lip began to puff out. Hatsumi knelt down beside her. "Now now Karai. I know you want this turtle but I don't think your father would like it."

Karai turned her glassy eyes toward Hatsumi. "Want!" She demanded, pointing at the creature. "Want it!"

Hatsumi shook her head. "I'm sorry Karai but we cannot take care of him. I do not even know how to take care of a turtle."

"They don't really take much." The man spoke up, gaining the girls' attention. Standing up from his chair, he reached into the container to pick up the turtle. He smiled at Karai and held the turtle out to her. The girl's eyes widened and sparkled as her lips curled up into a large smile. She eagerly reached for the animal, causing the man to laugh. "Now be careful with him. He's still very young." Karai nodded and was handed the turtle. Her mouth opened in awe as she gently stroked the creature's shell, as if holding a precious jewel.

Hatsumi smiled fondly at Karai's enthusiasm. She turned back to the man. "Thank you. I don't know if we could have left if she didn't get to hold it."

The man shook his head. "It's my pleasure. Rarely do I see young ones getting so excited over baby turtles anymore." His eyes dimmed slightly, causing Hatsumi to frown in concern.

"What is wrong?"

The man gave her another smile, this one smaller however. "I raise turtles to sell since they are such a popular animal to have as a pet. However there have been less people wanting them, and this year has been especially hard." He frowned, the sadness evident on his face. "Five eggs hatched this year to give me four very strong turtles and this little one." He said nodding at the turtle Karai was still enamored with. "I feared he would not make it."

Hatsumi looked at the small turtle in confusion. "Excuse me for asking, but if this turtle has survived why do you call it a hard year?"

"There was some sort of sickness that the turtles all had." He explained. "The four, though they seemed big and strong, did not make it. This little one however, managed to survive." The man sighed. "I've been thinking of stopping selling turtles, and after this year I know that this will be my last group. I decided to sell this little one even though he is very small for his age, but no one has wanted him. My wife does not want him, and I fear that if no one takes him I will have to let him out in the forest." Hatsumi's eyes widened. A turtle this size in the forest wouldn't last a day. Predators of any kind would easily pick him off and have him as a snack. The thought made her sad. No one wanted this little baby?

A squeal of delight broke Hatsumi's somber mood as she glanced back towards Karai, whose face was filled with absolute joy. She had brought the little turtle up to her face to gaze into his eyes, and he had licked her nose. The man chuckled, his previous mirth back. "He seems to like you." Karai beamed at him, obviously excited by the thought.

Hatsumi's heart melted at the sight. She continued to watch Karai laugh in joy as the turtle licked her nose again. Turning back to the man, also watching the child and turtle, Hatsumi made up her mind. "So how much does a turtle cost exactly?" The man's and Karai's smiles could not be matched.

* * *

Entering the dismal pet shop, Yoshi did not know what to expect. It had been almost a year since his life had been destroyed. For months he had done nothing but stay in a small, dingy apartment and work whatever jobs he could find back in Tokyo. It was extremely exhausting getting up each day with nothing to live for, but he had kept going. For what he didn't know, but a part of him believed to preserve Tang-Shen's and Miwa's memories. Eventually he had saved up enough money to move. As much as he loved Tokyo and all of his homeland, the pain was too unbearable staying where his life had ended.

His new home was practically on the other side of the globe, in the large city of New York City. It was loud and rambunctious, but he did not mind. The noise was almost a relief, being too loud for his mind to wander to darker thoughts. He had chosen this city because it was similar to Tokyo, but far from any of the memories that hurt to think about. It wasn't anything great, but it was enough for him.

However after living in the city for several months now, Yoshi couldn't help but grow lonely. While his loss still felt raw on his soul, he craved some sort of companionship. Befriending new people was out of the question for him. People were too curious, and they would hurt him more than they would help. He didn't particularly want someone to talk to, but something to share the space of his quiet apartment would be wonderful.

And that was how he found himself walking into the small store, with a small bell ringing to alert employees of his presence. Yoshi stopped for a minute, hesitating. Did he really want a pet? How would he take care of it? In fact, he had never even had a pet before. Unease was growing within him, and considered walking back out the door. It was at that moment, that a young man, no older than 25, walked out of a back room and greeted him.

"Hello sir and welcome to Eastman's Pet Store. Are you looking for a pet or some supplies for one you already have?"

Yoshi blinked, still unsure. "I was interested in adopting something." He admitted quietly.

The young man nodded and yawned, seemingly bored. "And what were you interested in adopting?"

"I was just interested in looking." Yoshi was surprised his voice didn't shake as he felt his nervousness growing. What was he even doing here...

The young man sighed. "Alright well all animals are over to the left. If you need me I'll be in back." With that, the man strolled back into the back room doing whatever he had been doing, leaving Yoshi on his own.

Yoshi was still tempted to just turn and walk back out, but hesitated. He was a ninja once, not afraid of anything. This should be nothing right? And what was the harm in just looking? It wasn't like he even had to buy something. His mind made up, Yoshi walked over to the various enclosures set up. Dull covered fish lazily swam in their slightly dirty looking tanks, as a group of frogs circled around in water in another tank. His eyes wandered over the animals, nothing really catching his attention. He was about to deem his search fruitless and leave, when a final enclosure caught his eye.

It was smaller than the rest, nestled away in a dark corner. Yoshi walked over to it, peering inside. Three small turtles caught his attention as they strolled their small home. They were of various sizes and colors he noticed. The smallest of the trio was also lightest green and looked as if it was attempting to catch its own tail, though it was difficult when it could barely turn fast enough. The largest turtle was a shade of emerald and seemed content with snapping at several leaves hanging over its head. The final turtle, sized somewhere between the two, was olive green and staring back at Yoshi. It startled him, seeing the small creature watching him almost as intently he was to it. The two held each other's gazes.

Tentatively, Yoshi reached into the tank and stroked the turtle's shell. At first, the turtle shrunk back into its shell, but when it realized Yoshi wasn't a threat, it shyly poked its head back out. A smile formed on Yoshi's face, which surprised himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled. Suddenly the larger turtle rushed over and snapped at the invading finger, hissing at Yoshi as he withdrew his hand. The man chuckled. "Do not fear little one. I mean your friend no harm." The larger turtle hissed again while the olive green one continued to watch him. His voice startled the smallest one out of its antics and it lumbered over to the group, chirping up at Yoshi as if trying to talk.

In that moment, Yoshi's mind was made up. He hadn't really thought he'd find a pet, let alone three, but these turtles were much too precious. In the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered Tang-Shen's adoration with the reptile. He smiled fondly at the thought, but he didn't feel as downcast as before. "I will be right back little ones." He promised before going to get the young man.

At seeing Yoshi's choice of pet, the young man laughed. "These three little guys sure are a handful. Guess it runs in the family."

Yoshi turned to him. "They are family?" He questioned.

"Yep. Three brothers." The young man shook his head. "It'll be good to get rid of em though. I don't think I can deal with their troubles anymore." Laughing again at the thought, the young man ran up the prices of them.

Yoshi studied the turtles again. Brothers? It was surprising, thinking that the three were still all together in the pet store. It filled him with warmth though, knowing that they would be able to stay together, as a family.

"Oh you should probably get a new tank. One sec." The young man said absentmindedly. He quickly went back into the back room, bringing back a round, glass container. "If you just want to put em in there I'll go grab some food for em."

Nodding at the instructions, Yoshi carefully picked up each turtle, placing them in the tank. The small turtle chirped and shook its legs at being transported while the large one hissed and tried biting the hands holding him. The olive green made no sound, but slightly withdrew back into his shell.

Paying for the turtles and their necessities, Yoshi left the pet shop feeling much lighter than before, despite the darkening sky above him. He hadn't truly thought he would find something, let alone three somethings, but he felt happy. Happier than he had been in a long time.

Sighing in content, he failed to notice a man in a black business suit walking towards him until they bumped into each other. Yoshi stumbled slightly and gripped the bowl tighter so he wouldn't drop it and turned to apologize to the man. But the man paid him no mind, continuing past Yoshi and into an alleyway. Curious and slight annoyed at being dismissed so quickly, Yoshi followed. Stepping into the dark alley, he noticed the man he had bumped into was not alone. Two identical figures were beside him, one holding a large vial of some glowing green liquid.

Yoshi felt uneasy at the sight, and turned to leave the alley when he accidentally stepped on a rat that he hadn't noticed. It squeaked loudly and scampered off, its tail whipping Yoshi's leg in the sound alerted the men behind him of his presence. One of the men spoke, prompting Yoshi to turn back around to face them. "Halt. The one that is not Kraang must not leave the place of Kraang with seeing Kraang." Stepping back in surprise and confusion at their strange way of speaking, Yoshi quickly studied them. They looked the same, too similar. And their faces were emotionless. Nothing was portrayed on them, as if they were wearing a mask. Two of the men started walking towards him while the one holding the vial stayed where he was.

Tensing up knowing he would have to fight, Yoshi shifted the bowl of turtles so he had one hand free to engage. The first man to approach attempted to grab him, but years of training had Yoshi moving out of the way and grabbing the man's outstretched wrist. Yanking the man towards him, Yoshi swiftly raised his knee and sent the man flying. Stumbling backwards from the sudden pain shooting through his knee, Yoshi glanced down to the man he had just attacked. Was he wearing some kind of metal armor under that suit?

But he didn't have time to think about it when the other man advancing towards him tried grabbing him, obviously not learning of his companion's mistake. This time however, Yoshi stepped backwards and kicked out a leg to unbalance the man. The man went down, hitting the ground with a loud 'thunk' when Yoshi noticed the gun being pointed his way. It was large and didn't look like any weapon he had ever seen, but fear rushed through him as the blank eyes of the man holding the vial pulled the trigger.

A bright purple flash and Yoshi moved, charging towards the man. Some sort of lasers shot out of the gun as the man attempted to shoot Yoshi, but adrenaline rushing through the older man had him knocking the gun out of the man's hand in a flash. Quickly Yoshi punched the man's sternum, pain rushing through his fist at the hard contact, and the man stumbled back slightly. Stunned by the pain running through his hand, Yoshi failed to move fast enough when the man suddenly attacked him using the vial.

Unbearable pain flashed through him, blinding him as he screamed. The bowl he was carrying fell as Yoshi desperately tried to get the green liquid off of him, scratching at his face and body, anything to stop the pain. Too absorbed in his torture, he didn't notice the three men talking briefly to each other before leaving the alley. Collapsing, Yoshi curled in on himself, whimpering at the excruciating pain. It felt like hours to him, but only mere seconds had passed when his body began to change.

Minutes passed, and the pain started to recede. Tentatively Yoshi pried open his eyes. He slowly pushed himself off of the ground, the world spinning around him. Bringing his hand up to hold his pounding head, shock rushed through him. Quickly bringing down the limb, Yoshi felt his blood run cold. He was staring at some kind of paw. It was pink with long, sharp claws. But there was _fur_ _on his arm._ He brought the trembling paw up to his head and felt more fur. And he had a _snout_ with whiskers, with a pink noise protruding off the end. Turning towards a silver trash can he noticed at the wall of a building, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw. He was a giant _rat._ _What was happening?_

A small cry made him whip around, stunning him even further. In the pool of green liquid beside him, surrounded by shards of glass, were three babies. _Where did they..._ One of them brought up a small hand, and Yoshi's heart stopped. It only had three fingers. Blinking several times, Yoshi finally noticed that while they were in fact infants, they were green and had...shells?

Realization flooded through him as he continued to gape at them. These were the turtles he had just bought. More than triple the size they were before and incredibly human looking. The one staring at his hand noticed Yoshi, turning its attention towards him. The turtle stared at him, its auburn eyes filled with curiosity.

Another of the turtles cooed, alerting Yoshi as he turned to look at it. It smiled as it began to crawl around. Yoshi noticed it was about to step on a piece of glass and he quickly snatched it up so it wouldn't harm itself. Squealing at suddenly being off the ground, it giggled and turned its baby blue eyes towards Yoshi. Reaching out its small little hands, the little turtle attempted to grab at the rat. Something growled beside him, and Yoshi moved his attention to find stormy green eyes glaring at him. The turtle in his hands continued to struggle in his grip and gently he set it down. The green-eyed turtle instantly turned towards the smaller one and practically leaped onto him, causing him to squeal as they tussled.

It was strange. An hour earlier he had been debating whether he should get a pet or not and now he was watching three turtle children as a giant rat. He sighed, burying his face into his hands, though it felt extremely awkward with thin fingers and snout. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just walk around as a giant rat. It had been a year since he felt his life had ended alongside the death of his wife and daughter, but slowly he had begun to build himself back up, back into a shadow of the man he had once been. But now? Now he was nothing once again. His humanity had been taken now too.

Something touched his leg, and he lifted his head out of his hands. The olive green turtle had one of his small hands on Yoshi, tentatively touching the rat. His auburn eyes lifted shyly to Yoshi's and smiled, showing off a small gap in his teeth. But it was the eyes that caught the former man's attention. They were just so human. All three of the turtles' eyes were.

Slowly Yoshi moved a paw towards the turtle. It shrunk back into its shell a bit, but when realizing it was safe pulled back out and let the paw run over its head. The turtle shivered at the warm paw against its cool skin, and Yoshi realized with a frown that it was rather cool out. No doubt the little creatures were getting cold. He gently picked up the turtle and brought it to his chest, hugging it to warm it up. It let out a happy little sigh and snuggled in, warming Yoshi's heart. The blue-eyed turtle suddenly appeared in front of him, obviously done with wrestling with his brother, and chirped at him. Yoshi set the olive green turtle onto his lap and picked up the smaller turtle, setting him by his brother. The two snuggled together, obviously content. Another growl, though it sounded quite whiny, brought his attention to the third turtle who looked as if it was pouting at being left out. Yoshi chuckled and picked up the turtle, who he noticed was quite heavier, and set him beside his brothers.

Smiling down at the suddenly drowsy children, Yoshi felt something he hadn't in almost a year. Love. Though they may be turtles and he a rat, he knew that there had to be a reason they had all changed. He may never have been a firm believer in destiny, but this just felt right. Gathering the children, _his_ children, close, Yoshi sighed in content. "Sleep well, my sons."

* * *

Building up the Foot Clan back to its former glory and power was no simple task, but Oroku Saki had never backed down from a challenge before. Day after day, hour after hour, he worked to bring back his Clan. Even if it meant he had to leave the care of Tang-Shen's daughter, _his_ daughter, to another.

Today's hours had been even longer. A group of his men had heard about some sort of strange technology in an old warehouse in the slums of Tokyo, and went to go investigate whatever it might be. Saki had waited back at the building that served as the Foot's Headquarters. It wasn't anything fancy, but soon enough they would get what they deserved.

When his men had returned, they had brought back a strange briefcase that piqued the ninja master's interest. Apparently some strange group of men had been working in the building, using the strange technology for experimentation. When the ninja had arrived, the men had seemingly been alerted of other party's interest in their equipment and had already begun to evacuate the warehouse. Most of the technology was gone, only some things left that the ninja saw were quickly removed and taken away in white vans. The men in the warehouses all wore business suits and masks, as they all looked like the same exact person. The Foot ninja decided to intervene and were quickly shot at by large guns with purple lasers, to which they easily dodged, but the strange men had escaped in the white vans, leaving no trace of ever being in the building in the warehouse. Except for a briefcase one of them had left behind.

The briefcase had not been opened yet by the ninja, ordered to return with anything left untouched. Saki examined the briefcase. It didn't seem like anything special, not unordinary at all. But he knew better than to judge something by how it appeared. He dismissed the ninja so he could see the contents. Saki slowly pried open the brown case, intrigued by what he found. One small syringe of some sort of glowing green liquid sat inside, seemingly harmless. He picked it up, narrowing his eyes at the strange liquid.

Saki had no idea what it was, though he assumed it was part of what the men in the warehouse had used to perform their experiments. He could take it down to where he had several scientists working, no doubt they would want to study its contents. But something inside of him wanted to keep it for himself, to use it. Glancing towards the clock, Saki growled seeing how late it was. Placing the syringe back into the briefcase, he swiftly left with it in hand.

Hatsumi stole another worried glance at the clock. She knew Saki was supposed to be home late, but 3am seemed a stretch. Usually she left around 10pm each night and returned around 7am the next day to watch over little Karai. Oftentimes she stayed later or arrived earlier, but never this late. Sighing and running a hand through her hair, she fought to keep her eyes open. She was still technically working and she forbade herself to sleep on the job, even though the one she was in charge of had been asleep for several hours now.

Standing to keep awake, Hatsumi wandered back over to Karai's room. The little girl hadn't moved since she had last been checked on, still clutching onto the turtle toy. Hatsumi smiled. Karai had been overly excited at getting to take the small turtle home, smiling so widely the whole way Hatsumi was afraid the girl's face was going to crack. Though she was more than happy to make the little girl so overjoyed, a small part of the woman felt nervous. A new pet without the father and owner of this apartment's permission? Hatsumi shivered a bit, thinking of the man's intimidating glare. But he wouldn't mind too much knowing his little girl was happy, right?

Shaking her head, Hatsumi moved back to the living room, not noticing the dark figure against the wall. Hatsumi let out a large yawn and was about to sit down when a deep voice spoke, nearly frightening the woman to death. "Karai is sleeping well?" Saki asked, though he said it so it didn't sound like a question. He didn't seem impressed by her drowsiness.

"Y-yes Oroku-san." Cringing at her stutter, Hatsumi quickly bowed. "She is doing well right now."

Saki made no sign of responding, and Hatsumi was about to ask if she could leave when she noticed the man's eyes narrow. The scars on his face twisting, the shadows catching them in a way that made fear run through the woman. "What is that?"

Following his gaze, Hatsumi felt her heart drop. The small turtle was moving around in his little enclosure, tapping lightly against the glass. Hatsumi turned back to Saki, freezing when he met her gaze. His golden eyes were cold, glaring at her. She swallowed nervously. "I-it is a turtle Oroku-san."

"I can see that." He growled, making the woman flinch. "Why is it here?"

Trying to hide her growing fear, Hatsumi answered. "While at the market, Karai saw it and I had a short conversation with the man that owned him. He mentioned that he was not able to sell it and was afraid he'd have to release it into the forest, where it would no doubt die. I-I couldn't allow a baby to just die Oroku-san, especially not when young Karai was so enamored with the creature." She swallowed again, trying to hide her trembling hands. "She very much likes him."

"And you just thought to bring it here? If it couldn't survive on its own it doesn't deserve to survive at all." Saki snapped at her.

He started moving towards the small turtle, causing Hatsumi to fear what he might do to it. "Wait Oroku-san!" Her sudden cry surprised herself and Saki, making the man stop and turn his glare back towards her. And though she was afraid, she couldn't allow such a small creature to die. Not when it was still so young and couldn't do anything to get away from danger. Not when the little girl that loved him was sleeping in the room next door. "I know that I should not have bought him, _but_ when I saw how happy he made Karai, I could not help it. I have never seen her so happy Oroku-san, and it made me happy. And while I know this little turtle seems small and weak, he has already fought off death that took his siblings. He is strong Oroku-san, I can tell. So please, I will take him to my apartment if I must, but please do not harm him."

Her words seemed to have some sort of effect on the man, as he turned his glare back onto the turtle, studying it. His eyes did not betray his thoughts, but Hatsumi could tell he was mulling over what she said. "Very well." He finally said, making relief flood through the woman. "I will allow it to stay for now." Fixing his glare back on the woman, he growled at her. "But do not do anything like this again or there will be consequences."

And though the words sent a spark of fear rushing through her, Hatsumi let out a relieved sigh and bowed again. "Of course Oroku-san. I promise not to do anything so rash again."

"Good. Now leave."

Hatsumi didn't need to be told twice, quickly gathering her belongings and leaving.

Alone, Saki sat down on an armchair, picking up the briefcase he had set down and pulling the syringe out of it. He twirled it around his fingers, studying the strange liquid. His gaze landed on the glass container sitting on a table set off to the side of the room. The small turtle inside walked around its enclosure, often tapping against the glass, unaware of the almost predatory eyes trained on its every moves. Saki narrowed his eyes at it.

Standing up, he stalked towards the creature, still holding the syringe in his hand. Being closer to it, Saki noticed just how small the creature was. It was pitiful really, how this small creature survived. Sending a quick glance to the syringe still in his hand, Saki moved his hand to hover over the turtle. It seemed to notice the extra shadow above him, and trained its dark eyes upward. Gold met dark blue. Reaching down, the man picked the creature up. It wiggled a bit at suddenly being lifted off the ground, but didn't seem as scared as Saki assumed it would have been.

The man continued to study the small turtle that seemed to examine the man as well. It didn't look like anything special, and Saki couldn't fathom why his daughter would want it so much.

 _Melodious laughter filled the air, making his heart beat slightly faster. Chocolatey eyes met his golden ones, and Tang-Shen beckoned Saki over to the small pond she was kneeling by. He looked to where she was, noticing several turtles swimming around in the clear blue water. She laughed again as they chased each other around the lilypads, making Saki smile at the wonderful sound._

 _"Aren't they lovely Saki?" She asked him, her eyes shining brighter than any stars he had ever seen. He nodded at her, making her smile grow as she turned back towards the reptiles. Though he wasn't so impressed by the creatures, he would do anything just for her to smile at him. Tang-Shen let out a small sigh. "I've always loved turtles Saki, though I've never taken one as a pet." She traced the water's surface with her pale fingers. "They always seem so happy together and I never want to break them apart."_

 _Noticing her sudden solemness, Saki laid a hand on her shoulder. He hesitated, before talking. "Maybe I'll buy one from a store for you one day." The smile beamed at him sent shivers running down his spine._

 _Tang-Shen's smile softened. "I'd love that very much Saki." The two turned their attention back to the turtles. It probably wouldn't happen, but anything to make her smile._

Closing his eyes at the sudden memory, Saki let out a ragged sigh. Tang-Shen had dearly loved these creatures as well. No doubt Karai got it from her. Turning his attention back to the small turtle, Saki felt his heart harden. This wasn't the past. The woman he loved was dead, leaving only her small child and him behind. The turtle began to struggle, feeling the change in emotion of the man holding him.

The syringe's contents seemed to start glowing brighter. It was a means of experimentation was it not? And what better way to find out what exactly it did than by testing it? Maybe then he wouldn't see her beautiful face as she watched the turtles, wouldn't hear her final gasp of breath as she died.

With nothing but hatred burning through him, Saki plunged the syringe into the turtle's arm. It let out a pained screech and struggled franticly against the squeezing hand. The glowing substance began to diminish as it entered the turtle's bloodstream. Suddenly it managed to wiggle enough in Saki's grip that is bit into one of his fingers. With a growl, he dropped the turtle back into its closure, pulling the syringe out of it as it fell.

The small turtle hit the ground hard, but it didn't seem fazed by it. Instead, it let out another pained cry and struggled against the pain. Saki watched its pain without a care. It continued to cry out and fight against the invisible enemy, the thing inside him. But then it started to grow. Saki's eyes widened as it changed. Doubling, then tripling its size, the turtle grew longer. Its legs and arms stretched further from its body as the small toes on its front feet began to elongate, forming three fingers on each of its _hands_. Its head grew larger, more rounded, and its shell grew less pronounced on its body, only covering its back instead of most of its body. The whole change happened quickly, maybe only a minute, and then Saki was staring at what looked like a mix between a human infant and a turtle.

Saki brought the syringe up to his face, interested in what the green substance was to change the turtle so much. Whimpering caught his attention, and Saki glanced back down at the turtle. Ocean blue eyes met his, and shock flooded through him. They appeared incredibly human. But there was something else. Deep in them, maybe only a fragment, Saki recognized them. Something in those blue eyes reminded him of beautiful brown. The small creature lifted one of its hands up to him, pointing at the syringe he was holding and then rubbing its arm where the needle had pierced his skin.

Intrigued by the resemblance of something in those eyes to the intelligence it seemed to have grown, Saki set a hand onto the creature's head. It flinched backwards slightly, surprised by the sudden contact, before leaning into the warm hand. Saki growled and brought his hand back to his side, walking away from the turtle. It let out a small cry at the loss of warmth, but Saki paid it little heed.

The next day, Hatsumi arrived around her normal time to the Oroku apartment, still slightly tired from the late night. She entered and took off her coat as always, hanging it on the stand near the door before making her way into the living room. It was quiet, and she assumed Saki must have already taken off for work. Hatsumi moved to enter Karai's room, when she remembered the small turtle from the day before. Curious, she turned towards where the glass container was for it. She felt her mouth dry when she saw it was empty. Rushing over to the tank, she frantically looked around the area to see if it had somehow escaped. Fear rushed through her. He wouldn't really have gotten rid of it when he said he wouldn't, would he?

"Hatsumi." Saki's voice startled her, and she whipped around to face him. She felt her jaw drop and eyes widen. In Saki's arms was what looked like a giant humanoid turtle. Its dark blue eyes wandered around the room and met hers, surprise rushing through her as she realized it was the turtle she was looking for. "From now on I will pay you double. Karai and Leonardo are to be taken care of as she always needed to be." Hatsumi's startled gaze moved to his. Saki narrowed his eyes at her. "And you will not tell anyone of him, understand?"

Nodding absentmindedly, she turned back to the turtle child. "Hai Oroku-san." She whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**I decided to post this earlier than I had previously planned, mostly because we actually get to meet Leo.**

 _5 Years Later..._

Crouching down as far as he could, Leo tried to quiet his heavy breathing. His cover was small for his size and wouldn't hide him very well, but it was the best he had at the moment and it would have to make do. Pushing down the urge to peek over and see if his follower was nearby, he instead tried to listen as hard as he could. The only noise he could hear was the faint sound of traffic on the streets below and the clinking of something in the kitchen. Curious as to where his chaser was, he slowly poked his head over his cover only to...

"GOTCHA!"

The little turtle squealed in surprise as he was tackled by the larger figure. Landing back on his shell, Leo sent a pout up at the laughing girl who couldn't seem to control herself. "No fair Karai." He whined as he attempted to shove her off.

Unfortunately she was much heavier than he was strong, and Karai remained on him as her laughter filled the air. "Y-you should have seen your face!" She attempted to say through her laughing fit.

Still pouting beneath her, Leo couldn't help but join in. "Yeah, yeah. You just got lucky. Now get off me."

Finally giving in, Karai rolled off him as her laughter receded. The two lay side by side breathing heavily. Karai pushed herself up and poked the turtle. "That's 3-1 now. Guess I do win."

Leo stuck his tongue out at her. "Only cause I let you." He tried to ignore her laughter at his poor attempt to justify his loss, pushing himself off of the floor and running to the kitchen.

The smell of soap filled the air, prompting the little turtle to sneeze. A quiet laugh alerted him to Hatsumi's presence as she sliced fruit on the counter. The woman turned to him and smiled. "Did you have fun playing?"

"No." Leo pouted, sticking his bottom lip out and crossing his arms. "Karai's being a meanie."

Hatsumi laughed again, waving the little turtle over. When he was closer, she bent down and poked his nose. He squawked at the sudden touch and she chuckled, standing back up to continue slicing. Leo rubbed his nose and scrambled up onto one of the stools to watch her work. He seemed fascinated by the handiwork and reached out to grab another knife she had laying on the counter. Gently slapping his hand away, she chided him. "That's too sharp for you Leo. Just let me handle it for now."

Groaning he placed his head on his hands, a scowl that looked significantly more like a pout on his face. Hatsumi rolled her eyes fondly at his antics. He was nothing if not determined, she mused.

Suddenly Karai raced into the kitchen, eyes brightening when she saw the apple being sliced. "Is that for me?" She asked innocently, though her eyes danced with mischief.

"For later." Hatsumi said, making the girl frown and Leo laugh at her. "Are you all ready for you first day of school?"

Nodding frantically, Karai smiled. "Yep! I got my bag all packed and everything!" She proceeded to rattle off all of her packed items, making Hatsumi roll her eyes as she placed the fruit into a bag for the girl.

"I wish I could go." Leo pouted. "School sounds fun."

"Just wait another year Leo. You have to be six remember?" Karai said, making the turtle perk up. "Then I'll win at that too!"

Leo gawked at her. "You can't win at school! That's not fair!"

Hatsumi chuckled as the two bickered, though a pang of sadness filled her heart. No matter how much Leo wanted to join his sister in adventuring out into the world, she knew that he would never be able to. The thought made her want to hug the curious little turtle, but she didn't want to ruin his happy mood. "Now now you two. Remember your father will be here soon to take you to school Karai."

Both children instantly brightened, nodding frantically as their eyes sparkled. If Hatsumi knew anything, than it was that these two children absolutely adored the man they called father. They didn't get to seem him very often, usually only if they woke up early enough or stayed up later than their bedtime. But it was more than obvious how enamored they were with the man.

Karai obviously loved the man who was her biological father. She tried to copy how he stood and moved, once even attempting to mimic his voice. (A memory that always made Hatsumi and Leo tear up while the little girl blushed furiously.) Little Karai wanted more than anything to be like her father, and it warmed Hatsumi's heart to see the young girl so happy.

Leo on the other hand, was not at all related to the man. The day Hatsumi had first seen the small turtle she had bought suddenly transformed into a humanoid turtle child was still incredibly clear in her mind.

 _Holding the small child as he_ _slept, Hatsumi's mind was racing. What happened to him? Oroku Saki had left 30 minutes ago, leaving Hatsumi alone with the turtle with basically no explanation to his sudden change. She glanced down at him, slightly frightened of him. He was still a turtle but more human-like as well. It was unnerving to her, a woman who had never seen anything this strange._

 _Suddenly the turtle moved in her grasp, causing Hatsumi to tense up. Dark blue eyes lazily opened, blinking several times to adjust before meeting Hatsumi's brown orbs. She gasped as he watched her, as if studying her. Reaching up one of his three-fingered hands, she leaned back from it. The turtle blinked at her, but continued to try and grab at her. He cooed, giggling as she furrowed her eyebrows at him. The sound melted her heart. Hatsumi felt laughter bubble up inside of her and she let out a small chuckle at him, prompting his giggles to grow louder. His blue eyes shone brightly, reminding the woman of a clear sky._

 _Gently she stroked his head, prompting the turtle to lean into her warm touch. He chirped_ _happily and smiled up at her. Shame filled the woman's gut. How could she be afraid of this harmless little child? She leaned in and kissed his forehead, making the turtle cross his eyes to see what she was doing. Laughing again at him, she touched his cheek. "Hello little Leonardo."_

Hatsumi smiled at the memory as Karai and Leo continued to chatter on. Leo was a complete sweetheart. Always curious to new things and more than happy to comply with whatever anyone wanted to do. He dearly loved and admired his older sister, doing anything she was and following her lead. The two were practically inseparable. And for his father, well Leo did anything the man wanted him to do. Hatsumi could tell the little turtle wanted desperately to make his father proud, often scaring her with how far it seemed he would go.

Shaking her head at the thought, Hatsumi heard the front door faintly click shut. The two children, oblivious to the arrival of their father continued chatting away, only stopping when Leo noticed Saki enter the kitchen. "Father!" He exclaimed happily, his blue eyes sparkling. Karai quickly whipped around and shouted the same, running to encircle his legs. (She couldn't reach any higher.)

Scrambling to jump off the stool, Leo practically fell onto the ground. He quickly recovered and hurried to where Saki was, but stopped a foot away. The little turtle bounced excitedly on his heels, watching his sister embrace their father.

Saki grumbled and pushed Karai off of him, but the girl's mood didn't dampen in the least. "I'm all ready for school father!" She declared.

Leo nodded furiously from where he stood. "Yeah! She got her pencils and book and-"

"Enough." Saki snapped, effectively stopping the turtle who quickly shut his mouth. Hatsumi felt a twinge of anger at the man when she noticed Leo's shoulders slightly drop. "Come now Karai." He left the room quickly, Karai following after she grabbed the bag of lunch Hatsumi had packed for her. The pair's footsteps receded as Karai entered her room for a moment before the two left the apartment.

Silence filled the kitchen's space as Hatsumi worriedly watched Leo. He hadn't moved since his father snapped at him, staring at where the two had left. "Leo?" She called out to him. The small turtle turned to her, expressionless except for a tinge of poorly hid sadness in his eyes. Hatsumi kneeled down and held her arms out. He hesitated for a second before rushing into her arms. She held him tightly, trying to show how much she loved him.

He sniffled once before prying himself out of her grip, making her frown. "Thanks Sumi." He whispered. In a flash his previous smile was back on his face, but she could tell he was still hurt by Saki's dismissal. "So what do I do now without Karai to play with?"

Hatsumi laughed. It never failed to surprise her how even when he could be feeling down, Leo was always ready to make her smile. "I guess I'll just have to keep you entertained."

Leo beamed at her and poked her shoulder. "Tag then! You're it!" He laughed loudly as he sprinted away, making her chuckle as she followed after.

* * *

Hatsumi smiled down at Leo as she stroked his head that was nestled into her lap. The poor turtle had been wiped out after a long game of tag, of which he was extremely fast for a turtle, and had practically fallen asleep as soon as he laid down beside her on the couch. She chuckled quietly at the thought of his antics. He never failed to make her laugh.

The sound of the door to the apartment brought Hatsumi out of her thoughts as she looked up. Saki stepped into view with a very sluggish looking Karai who looked as if she was about to keel over from exhaustion. Alarmed at the girl's appearance, Hatsumi was about to shoot up off of the couch and examine the girl, but Saki shooed the girl off to her room. Karai readily obeyed, trudging to her room without sparing Hatsumi a glance. Stunned by the girl's actions, Hatsumi turned to Saki, who was studying the turtle sleeping beside her. Golden eyes met hers as the man moved his glare upwards. "You are dismissed for the night."

Still confused, Hatsumi obeyed, gently moving the turtle off of her and standing. She sent a quick glance to Saki and was about to pick up Leo to take him to his bed when Saki growled at her. "I will get him." Roughly shoved out of the way, Hatsumi frowned but quickly scurried to leave. She pulled her jacket on and checked to make sure her keys were in the pocket when Saki appeared from around the hall's corner.

She turned towards him, hesitating when her eyes met his. Leo was curled up in the man's arms, obviously content in his current spot, but Saki gave the turtle no notice as he glared at her. "There will be no need for you to be here tomorrow. I will be taking Leonardo with me." Stunned by his words, Hatsumi couldn't manage to nod. Saki paid her confusion no heed as he moved out of her view, but she was frozen where she stood.

The little turtle, oblivious to what was happening around him, sighed happily and cuddled further in Saki's arms.

* * *

The next morning, Leo woke up extra early to see his father and Karai off again. Though it still hurt a bit that his father had gotten mad at him, the turtle wanted to be the first to say good morning to the man. Scrambling out of bed, Leo quickly but properly fixed up his bed and sprinted out of his room. It was pretty small, much smaller than Karai's, but he didn't care. It had all of his stuff and he was never in it very much.

Skipping to the kitchen, the turtle was surprised to find Hatsumi was no where to be found. He shrugged to himself, knowing often the woman didn't come until later, and ran to Karai's room. He knocked loudly on it several times. "Karai wake up! You have school!" He shouted. Pressing the side of his face against the door, he heard the girl grumble out something as she began to move. Excitement rushed through the turtle, the thought of the two playing a quick game before she had to leave on his mind.

"Leonardo." Practically jumping out of his shell with a loud yelp, Leo swiftly turned to see Saki standing behind him. The man looked rather angry as he glared down at the little turtle, but Leo paid it no heed.

"Oh hi father!" He chirped happily. "You scared me!"

Saki narrowed his eyes at the little turtle before growling out. "You should be more aware of your surroundings Leonardo. Fortunately, you will learn soon enough."

Leo furrowed his nonexistent brows in confusion. What did his father mean? He was supposed to learn something? Surprise filled the turtle. Wait, was he going to _school?_ A large smile appeared on the turtle's face as excitement charged through him. "Am I going to school father?"

"Hm." Saki regarded the small turtle in front of him. "I suppose you could think of it that way."

If the turtle wasn't excited before, than he was now. Squealing in delight, Leo began to hop around. "Really? Oh wow! I can't wait!"

"What's going on?" Karai suddenly appeared as she opened her door to a very happy turtle. She blinked several times to expel her drowsiness, confused by her brother's joy. What was he so excited about?

Leo turned to her, his blue eyes shining brighter than the sun. "I get to go to school Karai!" He exclaimed happily.

Karai's jaw dropped as her golden eyes widened. "What!?" She quickly turned her attention to her father who was watching the two with his arms crossed. Not seeing any resistance in the turtle's exclamation, she turned back to her brother. "Really? But I only started yesterday and I'm older than you."

"I know!" Leo squealed, holding his hands up to his face in an attempt to contain his enthusiasm. His joyous smile turned suddenly mischievous. "I guess that means I win at school then!" He laughed at the girl's shock.

"Enough." Saki's deep voice startled the two as they turned to look at him. "Get ready to leave soon." The man turned and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him.

Karai turned back to the turtle and gave him a light punch in the arm. She smiled when he whined at her. "I was at school yesterday so that means I win. You had to wait another day."

Leo pouted at her, rubbing his arm where she had hit him. "But I still get to go when I'm younger."

Rolling her eyes at him, she tugged him back to her room. "Well you better get ready then! You can have some of my stuff." Leo beamed at her as the two scrambled to make a small pack for him, excited to think they would get to go to school together.

15 minutes later and the two were all prepared. Karai was dressed in her favorite jeans and a gray shirt, holding her red bag filled with the supplies she needed for school. Leo wasn't wearing any clothes, since he really couldn't, and had his brown messenger bag packed with some of Karai's extra pencils and whatnot. He could barely contain his excitement when their father entered the living room. The man glanced down at the two children, who he thought looked far too happy for something so frivolous.

"Okay father!" Leo piped up. "We're all ready for school!"

Karai nodded beside him. "Yeah! I helped Leo pack for it." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, and the two shared a blinding smile.

Saki however ignored them and turned. He started walking towards the door. "Come." He demanded, not sparing them a backwards glance. The children shared one last excited glance before quickly following, keeping close to their father.

The trio had lived in the same apartment for years, a rather small thing that was farther in the outskirts of the city. This was incredibly helpful, making it rather easy to hide the fact there was a large humanoid turtle living in the building.

It was still early enough in the morning that Leo could slip past all of the other apartments without having to worry about being seen by another of the building's residents. Leaving the building, he stayed close to his father's side to keep hidden.

The turtle didn't leave the apartment very often, only a few times in his whole life when he would become too restless staying indoors. Leo loved his home and his family, but he hated not being able to leave it very often. He had always wanted to walk under the sunlight like his sister got to. He wanted to talk to the people at the market like Hatsumi said she would. He wanted to go places like his father did. Oftentimes they wouldn't see their father for several days when he would go faraway, wherever that was.

Saki stepped up to a waiting limousine, opening the door and pushing Leo inside with Karai jumping in after. The turtle scrambled onto one of the seats beside Karai as their father closed the door. Instantly the vehicle started moving, making the little turtle laugh. He'd only been in a car twice before, and it always excited him when it began to move.

Leo turned in his seat, ready to peer out of the window when Saki smacked his shoulder before he could. The turtle winced and instantly slouched back down, biting his lip at the sudden pain. Saki glared at him and turned away, ignoring the children. Karai gently laid a hand on Leo's other shoulder, giving him a friendly smile that he couldn't help but return.

The rest of the drive to the school was quiet, the only noise coming from the loud city life outside the vehicle. However, Leo could feel his excitement gradually begin to grow again the more they drove. Karai seemed the same as she moved beside him.

The vehicle began to slow, making the children perk up as Karai turned to look outside the window. Leo watched her as her eyes brightened, and she turned to face him, flashing him a large smile. He instantly returned it as his giddiness grew. He couldn't wait!

Karai practically leapt out of the limo as it came to a stop and Leo was about to follow, when a hand tightly gripped onto his wrist, pulling him farther back into the vehicle. The turtle quickly turned to face his father, confused as to why he couldn't go. "Only Karai will be here." Saki said.

Karai, who had stuck her head back into the limo when she realized her brother hadn't been behind her, furrowed her brows. "But I thought Leo got to go to school with me?" Leo nodded slowly, watching his father nervously.

"Leonardo will be coming with me." Karai and Leo shared a quick look, confusion evident in both of them.

"But father-"

"Go Karai." Saki snapped. The girl hesitated a moment longer, before stepping away from the limo and walking towards the school. She shot another glance backwards just as the limo started to pull away.

Still confused, Leo watched his father as the man closed Karai's door and settled back down. He opened his mouth to ask his father why he wasn't going with Karai, but quickly shut it. He shuffled in his seat and fiddled with his hands. Tension hung in the air the rest of the ride to wherever they were going. From what he could see, Leo noticed them enter a building of sorts and the vehicle stopped. Saki opened a door and stepped out, holding it open. Blinking once, Leo scrambled out, wincing when the door slammed behind him.

Saki began moving, Leo quickly following behind. Curious blue eyes wandered around the new surroundings. It was a dark garage filled with a variety of vehicles, but no one else was around. Hovering slightly closer to his father, Leo looked up at him. Saki paid him no attention, making the turtle's frown deepen. Suddenly the man stopped, and the turtle nearly ran into him. Saki pushed a red button in front of a set of doors while Leo shuffled beside him.

The little turtle had never been in a place like this, wondering why the doors didn't open when his father pressed the button. He was about to ask his father when suddenly a loud 'ding' and they slid open. Saki stepped inside and turned, Leo quickly jumping in beside him. The doors slid shut, and suddenly they were moving _upwards._ The turtle froze, looking around in slight fear. His father merely stood, glaring at the set of doors. Leo swallowed nervously, ecstatic when the doors slid back open to reveal a new view.

Saki stepped out and continued walking down the hallway, with the turtle behind him. The turtle struggled to keep up with the man's long strides, but looked around in awe. The hall was huge! The carpet beneath them was a dark red and the walls around them were painted black with some sort of red symbol on them. It looked like a foot, but he wondered why his father would have that on the walls.

The two came upon a larger room the hallway opened up into. It was so much bigger than Leo had thought a room could be. The walls were painted the same black with the red symbol on each side. A long red rug ran from the hallway up a set of stairs to what looked like a giant chair. Leo cocked his head in confusion. Where was the table for it?

"Leonardo."

Leo jumped slightly, startled from his thoughts. He looked up to his father curiously. "Yes father?" The turtle had so many things to ask his father about why they were in this strange place but knew better then to interrupt whatever his father was going to say.

"No doubt you are wondering why we are here." Saki said, turning to face the turtle. The small child bit his lip, and nodded. "It is simple. This is your new home."

The little turtle gasped, blue eyes widening. "W-what do you mean?" How could this be his new home? It was so different and not at all like his home! His father wasn't trying to joke was he? But no he never did that...

"You will be living here from now on." Saki stated as if it was simple.

But the little turtle had never been confused. "But father..." Leo felt tears prick his eyes. What was going on. "Am I...Will I be..." Shaking his head, the turtle bit his lips to stop the tears from falling. He hated crying and his father always got mad when he did. "Will Karai be here too?"

Saki nodded. "Yes. The three of us will be living here from now on." The turtle nearly fainted in relief. He managed to dispel the tears in his eyes as he smiled. His father turned away and motioned to the chair. "This is where I will be most of the time here working. You are not to disturb me here unless I call for you." Leo nodded, still slightly confused, but much more at ease. "I will show you where you will be training and living from now on. Come."

Once again following behind his father, Leo couldn't help but smile. This place seemed nice and super big. He wasn't too sure what his father meant by training or why they were suddenly going to live here, but as long as he was with his family, he was happy.

* * *

Training ended up being the hardest thing the little turtle had ever done. His father had brought him back into the elevator, but this time it went down and let the two out at a different area. It looked somewhat like the other hallway, but it was smaller and had several rooms on each side. They went into the largest room, making Leo's eyes widen at what he saw. It was only a little smaller than the first room they had been in, but it looked incredibly different.

Tatami mats lined the floor and crimson painted the walls. The same symbol was on one of the walls, huge and painted black, looking almost eerie in the dark lighting. Too absorbed in his surroundings, the turtle didn't notice when Saki left. One moment the man was beside him, and the next Leo found himself alone. The turtle whipped around, frantically trying to find his father. He let out a small whimper, the sound echoing around him. Trying to calm himself, the turtle didn't notice the figure lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly something flew at Leo, making him jump out of the way. He turned towards where the things had come from but didn't see anything. Tense, the little turtle turned to see what had been thrown at him. He tentatively reached out to grab whatever it was, pulling it from the ground. It was thin and sharp. He twirled it around experimentally, curious to what is was.

"It is a shuriken." His father's booming voice surprised Leo, and he almost cut himself on the shuriken's sharp point. His father moved out of the shadows. Leo blinked, confused. He hadn't even seen his father hiding there. Saki held up another in his hand. "It can be a powerful weapon to use for distraction or injury. Depending who you find yourself fighting, it can leave a small scratch..." He threw it at the turtle's feet, making Leo jump backwards in surprise. "Or be extremely lethal." The turtle looked up, still confused. Why would he need a weapon?

Saki pulled something else from his side, holding it out for the turtle to grab. Cautiously, Leo picked it up, studying the small blade in his hands. It looked a little like a kitchen knife, but it was missing the jagged side. He looked back up at his father. "What is this called?"

"That is a tanto blade. It can be hidden easily, making it very dangerous in the right hands. There are many different kinds. Some are larger like that one, but others are much smaller to be hidden easier." Saki seemed pleased at the turtle's interest in the weapon as he ran his small hands against it. "There are many other weapons here, but it will take time for you to learn to master them."

Leo nodded, still confused but incredibly fascinated by the weapons. "Am I going to learn them?"

Saki chuckled, surprising the young turtle who had rarely if ever seen the man smile. Leo perked up, happy to have made his father laugh. "You will Leonardo. I will teach you what it means to be a ninja. I have no doubts you will become a very powerful one."

Smiling widely at his father, the turtle nodded vigorously. He was still so incredibly confused, but this day was turning out to be so much better than expected. He couldn't wait to be a ninja!

"But it will take time and hours of training. You must be prepared." Leo nodded at his father, but stopped smiling at the sudden change of mood. Saki held out his hand, and Leo quickly returned the tanto blade to his father. Frowning as his father put the weapon back wherever he had it, the turtle couldn't help but miss the feel of it in his hand. "We will begin now." His father stated.

And with that the man moved, too fast for Leo to see until the turtle was on his back, wincing at the pain that radiated through his plastron. Saki was suddenly looming over him, glaring at the turtle. "Up." He commanded, to which the turtle complied. Again his father came at him, too fast for the turtle to react and he was smacked down again. Leo felt tears prickle in his eyes, but Saki was upon him, his golden eyes blazing. "Up."

Biting his lip, Leo pushed himself off the ground. He had barely steadied himself when down he went again, hitting the ground with a loud 'thunk'. Letting out a sharp cry, the turtle desperately tried to stem his tears.

"You are weak Leonardo." Leo winced at his father's booming voice, but the words pierced his heart. "Too small, too slow. You are nothing." Leo looked at the ground in shame. "Do you like being nothing Leonardo?" The turtle hesitated before shaking his head. "Do you like being weak?" The turtle shook his head again. "Then stand." Slowly Leo complied, still training his eyes below him. "Look at me."

Trembling, the turtle met his father's cold glare. "You are weak now, anyone can see that." Leo shrunk back slightly at the harsh words. "But that will change." Slightly surprised by the sudden change, Leo gazed at his father, confusion evident in his blue orbs. "If you do not want to be weak or seen as nothing, than you must work for it. Train harder and longer than others until you surpass them. This is what I will teach you. Do you understand?"

The turtle nodded, still confused, but determination began to flood through him. He could work hard. He knew he could. If his father wanted to teach him how to be stronger, than he would do whatever it took. Saki nodded at him. "Then we will be done for now. I will teach you more tomorrow. Come, I will show you your room."

Saki started towards the exit without a backwards glance. Leo hesitated, watching his father's looming figure retreat. Shaking his head quickly, he ran after his father. It was at that moment, that Leo made a promise to himself. He would do whatever he had to, whatever it took to make his father proud.

 **Quite a promise for the young one. In the next chapter, a new but maybe somewhat familiar face will show up.** **Also, if you do enjoy this story, please do support it in anyway. I'd love to get feedback of any kind.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to thank those who have reviewed, followed, and already favorited this story. It really does mean a lot, especially when I'm pretty proud of what I've done.**

The sounds of metal clashing together in fast strikes sounded in the large dojo. Several who had been lightly sparring watched the duel, so absorbed in it they forgot about their own. The two combatants stood a fair distance away, the smaller breathing heavily as he clutched tightly onto the katana in his hand. Eyes zoomed in on any detail he could catch, any sign of weakness that would give him the edge. His opponent narrowed his yellow eyes, standing nearly twice his size and seemingly unfazed by vigorous battle. Both studied the other for what felt like minutes, when in reality only seconds had passed since the last onslaught of attacks.

Annoyed that his opponent wasn't fazed in the least by his attacks, the smaller let out a snarl before he charged. The upward slash of his katana was too fast for the spectators to catch, but his combatant easily blocked the attack with his own saber and quickly retaliated. The smaller let out a gasp as he struggled to defend against the strikes. He could feel his arms growing sluggish as he blocked each brutal attack with his katana. Leaping away from his enemy, he tried to regain his breath, glaring at the taller fighter. The larger warrior laughed. "You do not prove to be a very worthy opponent."

Bristling, the smaller ninja dashed towards his opponent. He lifted his katana to strike when his arm was smacked aside and a powerful kick sent him flying. He hit the ground hard, winded. A large foot suddenly appeared on him, effectively pinning him. The large saber was pointed at his neck, and he glared at the person holding it. The two stared each other down, neither backing down.

Chuckling, the larger warrior sheathed his saber and freed his opponent. He held out a giant paw, easily hauling up the child. "Well done Leonardo. Though you continue to show impatience, making it very easy to rile you."

Leo felt his face heat up. "I know." He sighed, picking up his katana he had dropped. Sheathing it along with the other, he planted his hands on his hips as he scowled. "But you totally were messing with me Tiger Claw! You know I'm not strong enough for you to go all-out on me like that."

"That is true." The tiger agreed. He patted the turtle's head before starting towards the exit. Giving the turtle a backwards glance, he smirked. "And yet I was not going all-out." Chuckling at Leo's indignant pout, the tiger left.

Instantly the three ninja that had been watching the spar practically jumped on the turtle. "Dude Leo that was intense!" The ninja said as he slapped the turtle's shell.

Leo winced at the strange congratulations, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Eh he still beat the crap out of me."

They laughed in return, still watching him in awe. "I would have been taken down in like 2 minutes. How'd you manage to last 13?"

Shrugging, the turtle couldn't help but puff out his chest slightly at the praise. "Training everyday with the best of the best. Long hours in here and you'll get there too." He admitted honestly.

"No way am I sweating in here all day. I'd die of boredom before then." The man laughed, the others joining in. Leo smiled along, but couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. While these three were free to enjoy the city and all it had to offer to cure boredom, he was stuck in this building. Training was his main hobby, if it could be called that, and he loved it yes. But the turtle desperately wanted to explore the city he had been living in for 8 years.

The men started chattering amongst themselves about some get together at a bar later as they left the dojo, leaving the turtle by himself. Watching them leave, Leo sighed. He rubbed his arm, forgetting that it was bruised from Tiger Claw's punch. Leo winced at the pain. He'd have to put something on it. Damn tiger.

The turtle left the dojo and returned to his room. His and Karai's were several floors above the dojo, in a private area of the building. The rest of the ninja that had to stay in the skyscraper, if they weren't from Tokyo, lived in much closer quarters. But with Leo and Karai being children of the Foot Clan's leader, they were practically given their own floor. The only others on this floor were other elites, such as Tiger Claw and a newer higher-up known as Bradford.

Opening his door and closing it quietly behind him, the turtle yawned, his former adrenaline gone. He removed his katana scabbards and placed them carefully on his desk that sat in the corner of his room. In all, his room was rather big. Much larger than the one he had lived in back in the small apartment. This room had plenty of room for his belongings, though he didn't have much. He didn't wear clothes and he never got out, so Leo had never really bought anything. However, over the years he had started quite a collection of weapons, each that he treasured dearly.

But his most prized possessions were small ornaments Karai had gotten for him in the markets. She rarely went nowadays, but each was incredibly thoughtful. That might surprise most of those that knew the girl as she often was quite reckless and mischievous, but Leo knew she was very attentive. And she couldn't resist her little brother's charms. Smiling fondly at the small carved dragon statue he loved so much, the turtle yawned once again.

Seeing no use in fighting off his exhaustion, the turtle removed the rest of his gear and collapsed onto the bed. Within seconds, he was curled up asleep.

* * *

Something poked Leo's shoulder, but he ignored it. Another poke and he lifted his arm to lazily swipe at the obtrusion. Leo faintly heard an impatient sigh and the prodding became more persistent. "Psst. Hey wake up already."

Leo whined and swiped at the hand again, missing. "Lea'me alone." He mumbled into his pillow. The prodding stopped, but his pillow was roughly pulled away. Whining at its loss but no more deterred, the turtle buried his face in his blankets. He heard a groan and a quiet "you asked for it" but wasn't prepared to be assaulted by his pillow. Leo let out a cry of surprise as he shot up, facing his attacker.

Karai gave him a smug grin. He glared at her as he snatched his pillow back, placing it down on the bed. "Why'd you do that?"

"Cause you wouldn't wake up obviously." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Now hurry up. The Shredder wants to see us."

Any drowsiness that remained in the turtle was instantly dispelled. "What? Why?"

"I don't know." Karai shrugged. She stood and headed towards the door, Leo scrambling behind her to put his gear back on.

The two left his room, quickly making their way into the elevator. Leo turned to her as the doors closed. "So any idea why he might want to see us?"

"Like I said, I don't know." She rolled her eyes. "But it's probably nothing important."

Frowning at her response, the turtle turned back towards the doors. He bit his lip, wondering why exactly their father would call for them all of a sudden. They hadn't done anything too troublesome lately had they? He couldn't think of anything, but then again if Karai had taught him anything, it was that getting into a little trouble every now and then wasn't bad. It was actually healthy. He smirked at the thought as the doors opened, and the two stepped out.

Walking side by side, they entered the 'throne room' as many called it. The Shredder sat fully garbed in his menacing armor, watching them intently as they kneeled. The two bowed their heads in respect, waiting for him to address them.

"There have been several accounts of a thief in the city that continues to successfully steal whatever he wants. The only sightings are described as a dark figure." Leo and Karai shared a quick glance, each as confused as the other. A thief? Why would the Shredder care about one thief? He began talking again, the two quickly falling back into their proper kneel. "While skilled, this thief has targeted several of our stores in the north side of town. You two are to investigate and bring this thief in. Alive."

"Hai Master Shredder." The two chorused. They stood and gave the Shredder a final bow before leaving.

The two remained silent until they entered the elevator. Karai was the first to speak as she crossed her arms. "A thief huh? I wasn't expecting that."

Leo nodded. "Yeah. I thought we got in trouble again."

The girl scowled at him. "You worry too much. I made sure no one was around remember?"

"You said that when we tried hiding all of the masks before training but we got caught then didn't we? And what about that time when Tiger Claw found us about to spray paint that one wall? Or when we-"

The turtle's words were abruptly cut off as Karai slapped a hand over his mouth. She scowled at him. "I get it Leo. But that one time was totally not my fault."

He rolled his eyes, removing the hand from his mouth. "Sure, sure. And I'm a dancing penguin on a-"

The elevator doors opened, four ninja staring wide-eyed at the pair. Leo's face flushed and he quickly scooted behind Karai. The girl snickered and the four confused ninja shuffled in to the elevator. Three seconds of awkwardness later and the poor turtle practically toppled over trying to get out. Karai stepped out much more gracefully, and the two were left alone again. Karai leaned in closer to her brother. "A dancing penguin on a what now?"

Spluttering something about sisters, Karai laughed at the flustered turtle as he stomped away. She quickly caught up to him, mood sobering. "So what time do you want to head out?"

Leo shrugged, thankful for the topic change. "I guess at dusk. But we'll have to be quick."

Karai nodded. "Well that gives us a couple hours. You should take care of that." She pointed at his arm.

He blinked. He had forgotten about said injury from Tiger Claw. "Oh yeah. Tiger Claw got me good."

"So I heard." She said with a smirk. "Too bad I wasn't there to watch him wipe the floor with you."

"Oh please." The turtle waved her off. "I managed to last more than 10 minutes against him. You wouldn't have even lasted 5."

"Whatever. Now go get ready." Rolling his eyes at her, Leo did as she said, scowling when she called out. "And don't fall asleep this time!" He stuck his tongue out at her, leaving her laughing behind him.

* * *

Two hours later and the two ninja were ready to go. Karai had her usual armor on, lightweight silver plates over her torso with flexible black fabric covering the rest of her body. She had a metal covering for her lower face, but her eyes lit up with her trademark smirk. Leonardo wore the garb he had taken on soon after starting his training. Black tape encircled all of his hands except for his fingers and crept up his arms. The same tape covered his feet as well and most of his legs. A metal plate covered most of his plastron, with two smaller pads covering his shoulders, those adorned with the Foot's symbol. Two scabbards rested by his hips, attached to a black belt that also held various other weapons. The dark crimson scarf around his shoulders covered his mouth, and the black mask darkened his blue eyes. Standing on the rooftop, the two looked much older than 8 and 9.

Without a word, they sprinted towards their destination, flipping over rooftops without breaking a sweat. The sky was quickly darkening above them as they quickened their pace.

Leo took in his surroundings as he ran, thrilled to be in the fresh air. The lights of Tokyo were bright and the city was still alive for the late hour, Mount Fuji standing proud in the distance. He loved the feel of the wind on his skin as he flipped over the rooftops, feeling as free as a bird. Karai watched him out of the corner of her golden eyes in amusement. No words needed to be said as they went.

15 minutes later and the two were standing on the rooftop across from the warehouse, watching and waiting.

"Other Foot are stationed inside, but we're basically the muscle." Karai said, eyes narrowed at the building.

Leo nodded but didn't respond. Other missions were all basically the same, though he had only been on a few. Most of the time he only needed to stay in the shadows, preying on the enemy from a distance. Tonight would be no different. One thief against a dozen ninja would be easy to take down.

"Let's go." Karai leaped down into the alleyway, Leo behind her. They sprinted across the street towards the dark warehouse, making no sound. Karai leaned against the door, listening as Leo stood ready. She gave him a nod and slowly pulled the door open. It made no sound, and the two snuck inside. The turtle instantly felt the presence of the other ninja, though he could not see them hidden in the shadows.

The two children leaped onto a stack of crates and onto the rafters hanging above them, crouching down to wait. They didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes passed, and another presence was felt in the building. Leo felt his muscles tense as he looked around for the thief. To his surprise, he couldn't find him. He lightly nudged Karai, their eyes meeting with the same question. Where was he?

A sudden movement alerted the two to a figure lurking below them. It was almost impossible to see the person, who blended into the shadows as if he was one. The figure began searching around the crates, not making a sound as he checked them over. Whatever it was he was looking for, the thief found it in a smaller chest slightly away from the rest that Leo hadn't noticed before. Deft fingers pried open the box, revealing something that the turtle couldn't see. The thief picked it up, holding it up slightly to examine. It lightly shined in the pale moonlight filtering through several windows. Squinting, Leo saw that it was a necklace of some kind, gold with a flower pendant. It seemed like a strange thing for a thief to take from a ninja clan...

Suddenly a group of foot ninja jumped out from the shadows, surrounding the startled thief. But surprise was quickly dispelled as the necklace was stored in a bag that thief had around their shoulders and a sword was whipped out. Leo was surprised to see the figure holding a wakizashi and noticed the katana strapped to his back. The foot ninja quickly moved in, attacking in fast vicious blows that seemed to have the thief on the defense. But the thief was faster, kicking a ninja into another and parrying a sword from behind. Within seconds the thief had taken out the group, and the second moved in.

Leo felt Karai tense beside him, obviously tired of watching and she leaped down to join the other ninja. The turtle stayed where he was, pulling out a handful of shuriken and several kunai. He was only to move in as a last option, staying in the shadows where the enemy couldn't see him, wouldn't know he existed.

The thief continued to easily take on his multiple enemies, lashing out and blocking with ease. Karai however, quickly turned the tide of battle as she threw swift strikes at the figure. The thief may have been skilled, but against Karai and several others he just wouldn't hold out. Leo wasn't expecting the thief to dodge a slash from Karai's sword and return his own. He wasn't expecting Karai to get hit. But the thief managed to time his strike right and slashed at Karai's stomach, cutting through her defenses.

Karai went down and red tinted the turtle's vision. He flung a kunai at the thief's head. The thief barely dodged in time, earning a scratch across his face. His eyes flung up, meeting Leo's. Leo flung another, and the thief moved, avoiding the sharp weapon. The thief began to run towards the exit, weaving around the thrown shuriken of the turtle who stayed upon him from above, with each miss annoying Leo more. Putting on a burst of speed, the turtle jumped down, blocking the exit as he unsheathed his katana.

The thief halted, eyes widening at the giant turtle. Leo felt his own widen, shocked when he finally saw the person's face. The thief was a girl!? And not much older than him it looked like. Long black hair was pulled back into a braid, several stray pieces hanging over an oval face. The surprised brown orbs studied him, her hand tightening on her sword. "Yokai..." He heard her whisper. Leo narrowed his eyes at her, holding his katana tightly. It didn't matter who or how old she was, she had to be taken down.

The girl seemed to notice this, readying herself. Hardly a second later she was on the defense, blocking fast strikes that made her wrists hurt. Leo saw a tinge of blood on the girl's wakizashi and he growled, barreling down on the thief. He could tell she was growing tired, his strikes coming closer to hitting her. But she wasn't out of tricks, as she suddenly leaped over him, knocking him down with a quick sweep of her legs when she landed. He hit the ground hard and raised his head only to find her sword pointed at it. His blue eyes blazed as he watched her, but a tinge of fear slowly began to sprout as she watched him. Her breaths were loud, but her eyes seemed sure.

Suddenly the girl was thrown off him, surprising both of them. Leo whipped his head around to see Karai attacking the thief. Relief flooded through him, watching his sister battle. He hadn't known how bad she had been injured. Jumping up, the turtle quickly joined the fray. Striking tandem blows with Karai, the two easily took on the thief, the girl's limbs becoming more tired as her moves turned sluggish. A final slash sent the girl down with a cry, her wakizashi falling beside her. Karai kicked the sword away as Leo held his up to the girl's throat. He smiled at the sudden change of position, and the girl merely watched him warily. She clutched onto her bleeding upper left arm, where Leo had managed to slash her.

"Do it if you will." The thief said. Leo frowned, studying the weary girl. Just moments ago she had been fighting fiercely, but now she was just giving in?

Karai scoffed and cross her arms, wincing slightly from the pain in her stomach. Leo flashed her a worried glance that she waved away. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Golden eyes turned to the girl on the ground. "And you're not getting off that easy. We're going to take you in to see the Shredder."

The thief's eyes widened, but quickly dulled. She sighed. "Very well." Slowly the girl stood, watching Leo's katana warily.

Karai raised a brow and shared a quick glance with Leo. They hadn't expected her to go so easily, but they wouldn't question it. The girl was tired and injured. Any attempt to escape and the two would easily be able to take her down.

Leo motioned his head to the door and the thief moved towards it, still clutching her arm. Karai took the lead as the three exited the warehouse. They blinked, noticing a van nearby waiting for them. A Foot ninja was standing by it, looking up when he saw the three. He waved them over and they complied. Another ninja appeared from behind it and helped the other shackle the thief's arms and set her in the back. Leo and Karai stepped in and the ninja closed the doors, hopping into the front seat and driving off.

Karai leaned towards her brother. "I wasn't expecting a ride." She whispered so only he could hear.

"Neither was I." Leo said, shrugging. "Beats trying to take her over rooftops though."

Karai nodded, leaning back into her seat. She let out a breathy sigh, closing her eyes. Leo watched her get comfortable, noting that her injury didn't seem to be bothering her too much. Satisfied with his sister's condition, the turtle turned his attention to the thief.

In the better lighting, Leo could observe the girl more. She looked to be several years older than him, maybe a few inches taller as well. Her long black hair was pulled back into a messy looking braid with several strands hanging out of place over her face. Her face was ovular and rather plain looking. She had a thin set of lips and small brown eyes under thin eyebrows. She looked no different than many of the children he saw on TV, but this only accentuated his curiosity.

The girl noticed the eyes trained on her and she looked up, meeting his blue eyes. Her eyes roamed his body and her eyebrows furrowed together. "Are you yokai?" She asked quietly, meeting his gaze.

Karai stirred at the noise but didn't open her eyes as Leo shook his head. "I'm not any kind of spirit or demon. Just a turtle."

The girl looked ever more confused. "Turtles don't look or talk like humans."

Leo smiled, amused, as Karai let out a small laugh. "That's true." He said. "But I'm not an ordinary turtle." His smile turned into a thoughtful frown as he regarded her. "So why are you stealing things from the Foot?"

The girl's confusion melted into a cold mask. Her eyes narrowed. "They've taken things of mine. I wanted them back."

Confused, the turtle opened his mouth to ask her another question when the van's doors opened. Leo blinked. He hadn't even realized they'd stopped moving.

The turtle scooted out of the van, Karai behind him. The two Foot ninja grabbed the thief's arms, hauling her out of the van. She let out a small his of pain as one of them grabbed her still bleeding arm, but didn't try struggling. She let herself be dragged as Karai and Leo followed behind, the turtle still curious as he watched the girl.

* * *

Entering the throne room, the two Foot ninja dropped the girl who made no protest as her knees hit the floor. The ninja quickly bowed and left, leaving the girl between Leo and Karai. The Shredder stood at the top of the stairs, glaring at the girl on the floor. Tiger Claw stood nearby, watching expressionlessly.

"So," The Shredder's baritone voice sounded, making the thief slightly flinch back. "This is the thief that has been putting her hands where they don't belong."

The girl's head whipped up, fear gone as she glared at the man. "None of that belongs to you. It belongs to my Clan, not yours." Leo and Karai's eyes widened at the girl. No one ever spoke back to the Shredder. Not unless you wanted to die.

The Shredder narrowed his eyes. He walked down the short set of stairs, stopping in front of the thief. The young girl glared defiantly back, unfazed by the vast height difference. Roughly he grabbed her chin, golden eyes blazing. "The only Clan that matters is the Foot. Any pitiful thing left over is nothing."

She scowled at him, gritting her teeth. "The Lotus Clan may be much smaller than your Foot Clan, but we will never be nothing." She spat.

Silence reigned as the two glared each other down. The other three present watched, completely absorbed. Suddenly the Shredder began to laugh, surprising everyone in the room. The thief's bravado began to fade as fear set back in, watching the looming man above her. The deep laugh began to trickle off, scathing words taking its place. "The Lotus Clan has been dead for years. Anyone left in it swore their allegiance to the Foot Clan."

At the words, the girl's eyes widened, completely stunned. "N-no. I refuse to believe that." Her shoulders trembled lightly as the Shredder stepped away.

"Believe what you will. But know that whatever you may think the Lotus Clan owns now belongs to the Foot." The Shredder turned, moving back up the stairs. He turned to Tiger Claw. "Take her to the dungeon."

Nodding at the man, Tiger Claw grabbed the girl, practically dragging her as she was too stunned to walk. Leo and Karai watched them go, both immensely curious as to what just happened. The two turned towards the Shredder who had their back to them.

Karai motioned her head towards him, and Leo's eyes widened. He shook his head and motioned for her to ask him. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You two are dismissed." Shredder said, startling them.

"Hai father." Karai bowed. "But if I may, what was all that about?"

For a long moment it didn't seem like the man would respond. The three stood in silence, until the Shredder finally turned around. "The Lotus Clan was once a smaller ninja clan, alongside the Foot and Hamato." Leo tensed at the name as Karai flinched, but the Shredder continued. "They were known for having only kuniochi as warriors that specialized in stealth and poisons. However, as the two larger clans began to war, most of the smaller clans seemingly disappeared, except one. Years ago when the Foot Clan was destroyed, their Lotus Clan ally fell alongside them. Rarely have any ninja clans joined together in such a way. After the battle, any surviving ninja of the Foot or Lotus escaped, but I have seen no Lotus ninjas remaining. Until now." He closed his eyes, deep in thought. Leo and Karai shared a quick glance, curious about the story and slightly surprised he had humored them. "I would like you two to become familiar with this girl. I wish to know if she is truly of the Lotus Clan or not. She could be a valuable ally for the Foot."

"Hai Master Shredder." The two bowed, and left the room.

Heading towards the dungeons, Karai turned to Leo. "I wasn't expecting our thief to be some member of an old ninja clan."

"Well seeing how neither of us have heard about it before, it's not that big of a surprise." Leo scoffed at her, but he looked thoughtful. "It does seem weird though. But I guess it makes sense she was stealing from the Foot."

Karai nodded. "True. But hey we never saw what she took."

Leo blinked. "I kinda forgot about that. I was just focused on fighting her." The turtle tensed a bit, worry pooling in his blue eyes. "Is your stomach okay? I mean you came back into the fight and it didn't seem to be a big bother but-"

Waving him off, the girl rolled her eyes. "Jeez you worry too much. But I'm fine. It was just a light scratch. I went down more cause I was surprised, not hurt."

"Alright, but you should probably get it taken care of. I can head down to the dungeons while you go do that quick."

Karai hummed, tapping her chin. "Well it's not like we have to see her right now anyway. Besides it's pretty late." She shrugged. "I think I'll just get some sleep."

Leo frowned. "Alright, but I want to head down there tonight."

"Why?" Karai asked, placing her hands on her hips. "It's not like she won't be there tomorrow."

The turtle shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just really curious about her, that's all."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then." The girl gave her brother a final wave before heading off to her room.

The turtle watched her go before heading down to the dungeons. They were located several floors beneath the garage, making them nearly impossible to escape. Leo had only been in the dungeon once or twice before. The dim lighting and close walls made him feel trapped like an animal, and he shivered at the thought. Sure he technically was one, but he felt trapped enough as it was.

The dungeon was eerily quiet, sending chills down the turtle's spine. Quickly walking past the various cells, most which were empty, he came to a stop beside one. He could barely make out the girl hiding in the dark corner, curled up as small as she could be it seemed. Chocolate eyes lifted as she noticed his presence. Surprise lit up her face for a moment as she saw who it was. Neither said anything for a moment, merely studying the other. The girl let out a quiet sigh and placed her head back where it sat upon her knees that she had hugged to her chest.

Leo noticed the dark crimson staining her arm and he frowned. "Is it still bleeding?"

The girl didn't move. "Yeah."

Guilt washed through the turtle as he bit his lip. He reached up to untie his mask, pulling it off and throwing it between the bars. It landed in front of the girl, who looked up in surprise. Leo turned his head and crossed his arms. "I think that will work for now."

The girl stared at him for a moment longer before gently picking up the cloth. She sent another quick glance at him before tying the mask tightly around her arm, surprisingly well for only using one arm. "Thank you." She said, looking back at him. She blinked, slightly tilting her head to the side. "You look very different without it."

Leo turned back to her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged with her good arm. "I don't know really. You just look younger I guess."

"How old does it make me look?" Genuine curiosity lit up his blue eyes.

"How old are you now?"

"Eight."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're only eight?" Leo nodded, unsure how to feel about her surprise. She seemed to notice this and quickly clarified. "You fight extremely well for your age. I know a lot of people three times your age that aren't close to your level."

Leo smiled at the praise. "Thanks. I train everyday. What about you?"

The girl bit her lip. "When I can. Sometimes I don't get a chance to."

The turtle frowned at her answer. "You don't have anyone to train with?"

Sadness filled her brown orbs "I don't have anyone." She whispered, hugging her knees closer.

"Oh..." Sympathy filled the turtle as he watched the girl. "How old are you?"

"Eleven." She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I've been on my own for awhile. My parents died when I was young."

Leo wanted to hug the girl. "I'm sorry."

She gave him a small smile and shook her head. "It doesn't really bother me anymore. So what about you? Do you have a family?"

The turtle hesitated, not sure how the girl would respond to knowing the man who had her thrown in here was his father. "Well...uh you've sorta already met them..."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant when the answer hit her. "That girl right?"

"Yeah." Leo nodded. "That's Karai. She's my sister. Not like actual sister, but we grew up together so that's enough for me."

The girl nodded. "I can see that. But who else? You said they and I could only tell she was one."

Leo twiddled his fingers nervously. "Oh, uh, he's um, sorta the one that had you brought down here."

"Wait..." The girl's eyes widened. "The Shredder? He's your father?"

"Yeah. It's sort of a long story but he's my father. It's the same thing with Karai, but they're actually related." Leo noticed she seemed tense. "He may seem like a mean guy but he's really not." He added quickly. "He does everything for his family."

The girl didn't seem totally convinced, her eyes growing suspicious as she narrowed them at him. "And did he tell you to come down here and talk to me?"

Leo hesitated, the girl noticing it. "He did yeah, but I wanted to come down here anyway."

"Why?" She glanced around at their surroundings. "To see me?"

The turtle smiled at her. "Yeah. You seemed interesting and I wanted to talk to you more. I uh, don't really talk to many new people." He scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

The girl, however, looked stunned. "You thought I was interesting?"

He nodded furiously. "Totally! I've never seen someone that wasn't a ninja sneak around so well. But then I guess you are a ninja huh?"

"Not really. I know some ninja things from my mom but not much."

"Wow seriously? That's awesome that you've become ninja on your own!"

The girl's face flushed and Leo let out a small laugh. She was surprised how quickly he managed to flip the dark mood 180 degrees, though embarrassed by his praise. "Yeah I guess..."

"Oh my name's Leo by the way. I mean it's Leonardo but everybody just calls me Leo." The turtle flashed her a bright smile.

The girl returned it, though hers was much smaller. "My name is Lotus."

Leo cocked his head to the side. "Lotus of the Lotus Clan?"

She turned her head to the side as her eyes dulled. "I was given the name in honor of the Lotus Clan, but I didn't realize it was actually gone. Your father said that remember?"

The turtle frowned, wanting to comfort the girl. He closed his eyes, thinking of something to say when the Shredder's words came back to him. "But in a way it still does."

Lotus turned back towards him, her brown eyes filled with confusion. But there was a small tinge of hope in there. "What do you mean?"

"Well after you were taken away, Karai asked what the Lotus Clan was. Back when the Foot Clan got taken down by the Hamato Clan..." The name left the turtle's tongue bitter as he paused, but quickly continued. "The Lotus Clan was helping the Foot Clan fight. Ninja clans didn't work together very often I guess so it was kinda special. But they got taken down together."

Lotus seemed stunned, turning her eyes to the ground. Leo watched her, curious as to what she was thinking. She bit her lip, meeting the turtle's eyes. "So the Lotus Clan and Foot Clan were working together when they were both destroyed?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah. The Foot Clan only got put back together a few years ago actually, by the Shredder. He's been working ever since I could remember to rebuild it."

"So he's made all of this happen in only a few years?" Leo couldn't read her expression, but nodded again. Lotus returned her gaze to the ground. "So the Lotus Clan could still be rebuilt too?"

The turtle opened his mouth but closed it, startled by her question. "Well yeah I guess so."

The girl's brown eyes lit up as she smiled at the turtle. "Then I'll rebuild my clan. Just like your father did for his."

Leo gaped at her, stunned. "What? But how are you gonna do that?"

Lotus shook her head. "I don't know. But I'll do whatever it takes."

Her optimism surprised the turtle, but he smiled at her, an idea forming in his mind. "It'll be hard y'know. You're just one person and you're still young."

The girl didn't seem fazed, determination lighting up her brown eyes. "So? If your father could do it, so could I. No matter how long it takes I'll rebuild the Lotus Clan."

Leo nodded, smiling brightly at the girl. "It'll be easier with help. A lot of it, but I know just what you can do."

Lotus furrowed her brows. "What's that?"

"What do you think about joining the Foot Clan?"

 **Yes, Lotus will be a character. If you didn't know, she appeared in the first cartoon and can be seen as that cartoon's version of Karai. So both of them, you may be wondering. Well, I wanted Leo to have his own team and why not another cool kunoichi?  
** **Anyway, in the next chapter another familiar face shows up and it just might be a surprise...**


	4. Chapter 4

**The support for this story is wonderful. If you've favorited, followed, or reviewed at all, thank you very much. I'm rather proud of this story so it's great to see others are enjoying it.**

Clinging to the shadows, Leo's eyes narrowed as he watched the scuffle below him. Strikes too fast for almost anyone to follow were exchanged, but he wasn't just anyone. Karai had no trouble taking down the man that had to weigh at least twice as much as her, adorning her usual smirk. Lotus was only a few feet away, stabbing the man she had been fighting with a small tanto. He let out a cry and wheeled around to attack her but instantly dropped. Lotus twirled the weapon before sheathing it, nodding at Karai. The two girls surveyed their work. Almost a dozen men lay unconscious on the ground, although Leo thought a few might have been dead. Sometimes his sisters got a little out of hand against such weak opponents.

"It's clear." Lotus called out to him, meeting his blue eyes. Though he may have been shrouded in the darkness, Lotus never had any problem finding him in it. But she practically had mastered stealth and never had trouble finding others, so it didn't bother him.

Leo jumped down from the rooftop, landing in a crouch and slowly straightening himself. He crossed his arms as he nudged one of the men on the ground. "They weren't much of a problem."

Karai scoffed. "Much of a problem? They weren't one at all. I don't get how our ninja couldn't take them out."

Lotus shrugged. "Obviously these guys were a little more of a challenge for them. But they're taken care of now. Let's just head back."

"Whatever." Karai rolled her eyes. "C'mon." The younger girl took the lead as she bounded up to the rooftop and disappeared from their view.

Lotus sighed before scaling the side of the building. She stopped and turned as she reached the top. Frowning down at the turtle still standing in the alley, she called down to him. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute." The turtle snapped, glaring down at the unconscious men. Lotus watched him for a moment longer before following after Karai.

Leo growled as she left, kicking one of the men in frustration. What was the point of him going on these missions if he just had to watch while others fought? He was already one of the Foot's best at 10-years-old but never got to actually show others what he could do. He was always back-up in case things went wrong, but of course they never did. He was trapped in the same stupid cycle he had always been in. It just wasn't fair that his sisters could go out and do whatever they wanted if they had free time, but he was always stuck in the Foot's HQ doing nothing. He loved Karai and Lotus more than anything else, but he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards them. They just didn't understand.

The turtle let out a deep sigh, knowing if he didn't follow soon the two would come back and scold him for staying back for too long. Leo climbed back onto the rooftop, staring out wistfully at the rows of buildings. Shaking his head, the turtle followed after Lotus and Karai.

* * *

As soon as the three had reported to the Shredder, Leo went to his room and locked the door behind him. No doubt Lotus would try to ask him what was bothering him. He didn't want to deal with that right now. Karai would probably immediately leave to find her new friend that she had met a couple weeks ago. Some witch if he remembered right. Jealously boiled in his gut at the thought. He couldn't just walk outside and meet someone new. Bitterness swept through him as he removed his gear, tossing it haphazardly onto his table. He huffed and dropped onto the bed, glaring up at the ceiling.

A soft knocking filled the room. "Leo? Are you in there?"

Leo scowled. "Go away Lotus." He could practically see her frown as she crossed her arms.

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you. And don't try to deny it, there's obviously something up."

Annoyance filled the turtle as he sat up, glaring at the door. "I said go away."

"Leo-"

"I said go away Lotus." Leo snapped, venom dripping from his words. He could hear her hesitation. Silently she left without another word. Guilt started clawing at him but he quickly pushed it down. He could feel bad later, but he had told her to leave twice. The thought somewhat placated him, and he sighed as he settled into the bed. Why couldn't she just understand he wanted to be left alone?

Another knock, louder this time, startled him. Clenching his teeth, the turtle sat up and stomped over to the door. He yanked it open, blue eyes ablaze. "Lotus I thought I told y-"

The Foot ninja looked startled and somewhat scared to have Leo shouting in his face. "Uh, excuse me Master Leonardo. Master Shredder would like to see you."

Leo blinked, dumbstruck. What did the Shredder want now? The Foot ninja watched him warily, and Leo shook his head. "Sorry. You're dismissed." The ninja nodded in relief, bowing quickly and leaving.

The turtle bit his lip, wondering just what his father wanted. It couldn't have been 15 minutes since he got back from the mission. He wondered if Lotus went to tell his father that he had yelled at her, but the thought was quickly dissipated. Lotus wasn't a snitch and she would never go to the Shredder for something so trivial.

Leo put his gear back on and headed up to the throne room. The Shredder was sitting on his chair when Leo entered. The turtle approached his father and kneeled. "You wanted to see me Master Shredder?"

"There has been strange activity in the city lately that no one has been able to pinpoint. I have some reports of a group of nearly identical men experimenting in an abandoned warehouse. You will join Tiger Claw and investigate. You will leave in 10 minutes."

Leo blinked at the Shredder, confused, but nodded. "Hai Master Shredder." He bowed and left.

The turtle met Tiger Claw near the dojo all geared up. The tiger was waiting with his arms crossed with a small group of ninja. Tiger Claw noticed Leo approaching and nodded. "Good. We are ready to leave then." The ninja sent the turtle a quick glance before nodding at the tiger.

The group left the building quickly, taking several vans to the warehouse. Leo crossed his arms as he sat beside Tiger Claw, curious about the whole thing. He looked up at the tiger. "What exactly is this mission for?"

Amber eyes regarded him for a moment. "I'm sure Master Shredder has already informed you." The turtle nodded, but the tiger could tell Leo was still unsure. "In any case, we are heading off to what I believe is a small Kraang base."

Leo's eyes narrowed. "Kraang? Isn't that what mutated you?"

"Yes." The tiger said, letting out a small growl that sent chills up the turtle's spine. "They are mechanical men that experiment on animals and humans using a strange green substance called mutagen. No doubt you have already heard the story."

Leo nodded. Curiosity of why he was a turtle and his family humans had prompted him to ask his father where he had come from. Learning he had been a regular turtle once stunned him, as he could only ever remember being Karai's little brother instead of her pet. Leo remembered not talking for almost a week after that despite Karai's persistent attempts at conversation. Knowing his father had mutated him on purpose left the turtle feeling numb as well, but in the end he found himself thankful that the man had. Leo couldn't imagine being a pet...

Meeting Tiger Claw was still one of the best things to happen to the turtle. Leo had always wondered if he was the only humanoid creature before meeting the tiger. And though Tiger Claw was extremely intimidating and _huge_ , Leo found himself enjoying the other mutant's presence, though it wasn't often. Tiger Claw was the second-in-command of the Foot, so he was always busy on some mission it seemed. Leo on the other hand, was not.

The thought piqued the turtle's curiosity as he rode in the van. Why exactly was he here? Leo was lucky to get a mission a week, let alone two in one night. He bit his lip. "Tiger Claw? How come I'm going on this mission?"

The tiger hummed in thought. "I am not entirely sure of Master Shredder's choice, but I believe you are to help make this a swift battle."

Leo perked up. "So I actually get to fight?"

"Indeed." Tiger Claw chuckled, but quickly sobered. "The Kraang will be destroyed so there is no reason for you to stay hidden in the shadows."

The turtle felt immensely relieved, his earlier brooding forgotten. He couldn't wait to have a real fight again, and not just some training.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. The van slowed down and stopped, alerting its occupants to the arrival of the location. Excitement rushed through Leo as his blue eyes sparkled. He stepped out of the van, following Tiger Claw's lead as the tiger approached the warehouse. It didn't look like anything special, just another old building people had stopped using. Tiger Claw's ears flickered as he held up his paw to halt Leo and the Foot ninja behind him. Leo strained to hear whatever the tiger could, picking up some quiet whirring sounds.

"This is definitely the place." Tiger Claw murmured to them. The Foot ninja tensed in preparation for the battle, hands gripping their weapons tightly as they unsheathed them. Leo, on the other hand, felt his skin prickle in anticipation as a smile spread across his face. His katana sat comfortably in his hands and he itched to use them.

Tiger Claw lead them to the back of the building, motioning towards a broken window near the top. The group quickly scaled the building, hanging outside the window as Tiger Claw cautiously peered inside. Leo peeked in from behind the tiger, his eyes widening from what he could see. Bright lights lit up identical men in suits who walked around stiffly. Several other slimmer silver figures patrolled the area, holding large guns. A shiver ran down Leo's spine as he watched them. Definitely creepy. He felt the tiger stiffen beside him as he let out a growl. Seemed Tiger Claw thought so as well.

"Let's go." The tiger growled out. In a flash the group of ninja were in the warehouse, taking down the Kraang. The Kraang were surprised by the sudden attack, but quickly fired back. Leo found himself dodging pink lasers shooting at him. He let out a laugh as he leapt around, taunting the Kraang. Swiftly he pulled out shuriken and sent them towards his enemy. The weapons made their mark, but the men didn't slow down as the continued firing at him. Leo's smile faltered. Why didn't they seem hurt by that? And did they just _spark?_

A roar alerted the turtle to Tiger Claw ripping through several of the men. Leo's eyes widened as not blood shot out, but pink sparks. The bodies crumpled to the ground, and some pink brain thing scurried out of one them. The turtle gasped as it. Was that some kind of _alien?!_

A sudden flash of pain flared as the turtle let out a cry. He shot a glare towards the men shooting at him, grabbing his right arm where they had managed to get a lucky shot. Gritting his teeth, Leo quickly charged towards them. He weaved around the lasers, arms held back when he leapt, bringing his katana down in a felled swoop. The bodies crumpled to the ground, sparking from the hit. Leo smiled smugly down at the bodies. "Not so tough now huh?"

Leo turned to survey the rest of the battlefield, but was surprised to see most of the Kraang were destroyed. A few were still being engaged by Foot ninja and Tiger Claw, but not enough he would have to worry about. Disappointment flooded the turtle, blotting out the sting on his arm. He hadn't even taken out _three._

A flash of black from his peripheral made the turtle spin on his heel. It looked like one of the Kraang was planning on retreating. Leo smiled. Well maybe he could get a third one. He sprinted after the man who had quickly headed through a door. Leo ran after the slower man who noticed the turtle chasing after him. No expression flew across the man's face as he turned back to the front and around a corner. Adrenaline had the turtle right on his heel, swinging his katana upwards and slashing through the man. The body crumpled as it sparked. Leo noticed a pink appendage sticking out from the severed body, letting out a putrid liquid. The turtle scrunched his nose in disgust as he noticed the same liquid on his katana. That wouldn't be fun to get off later.

Leo sighed, sheathing the sword. As the thrill of battle wore off, the turtle noticed he wasn't exactly sure where he was. Oops. Shrugging, the curious turtle walked around the small hallway. It was poorly lit as he followed it, noticing a closed door at the end. Suspense filled him as he approached it. He tilted his head, wondering what was behind it. Maybe more Kraang? But a quick listen told him there wasn't. Pushing down the disappointment, he slowly opened the door and peered inside. The room was rather dark, but he noticed a faint glow of some green liquid. _Mutagen._

Cautiously he stepped inside, studying the room. There were several cages, all empty, to one side of the room. The mutagen sat in stacks close to them. It looked like there was a lot of it. Leo shivered. If one small vial turned him into a mutant, what could all of that do? Walking closer to the mutagen, an eerie feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He tensed, grabbing the hilt of one of his katana as he peered around the room. He wasn't alone in here.

A shuffle had Leo whipping around towards the cages, katana in hand. He blinked, squinting his eyes. It looked like the cages weren't completely empty. The turtle cautiously approached the cages, crouching down to get a better look. Something white was curled up in one of them. Hesitantly, Leo moved closer. Amber eyes flashed open, surprising the turtle. He let out a startled cry as he fell backwards. Rubbing his injured arm, Leo watched whatever it was. The amber eyes studied him suspiciously.

The two stared, neither making a move. He didn't know how long they sat there watching each other, but curiosity had Leo breaking the silence. "Who are you?"

The figure made no sign of hearing him expect for the narrowing of its eyes. "I should be asking you that."

Leo blinked, surprised by the voice. It was gruff, slightly scratchy as if it hadn't drunk anything in awhile. The turtle wouldn't exactly be surprised, as it was in a cage. But it sounded young too. And it was a girl. "My name is Leonardo. Do you have a name?"

She growled at him. "I don't care what your name is. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on a mission to destroy the Kraang."

Amber eyes widened in shock. "You aren't with them?"

The turtle shook his head. "Definitely not. What about you?"

"As if." She scoffed, amber eyes darkening in hate. "I'm in a cage aren't I?"

Leo winced. Dumb question. "Sorry. So what are you doing here?"

She regarded him for a moment, studying him. "I was an experiment. They took me from my home and made me _this._ " Her words were filled with venom as she spat them out.

Sympathy flooded the turtle as he watched her. The cage didn't seem large enough for her. Slowly he stood, making sure she could see his every move. She definitely didn't trust him, but he wanted to help her. "Is there a key for that cage?"

She seemed surprised by his question. "Uh yeah, over on that table. What are you-"

"I'm going to get you out." Leo said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which for him it was, but she was stunned speechless. Slightly pleased, Leo quickly found the key and walked over to her cage. "Ready?"

She regarded him curiously for a moment before nodding. Leo smiled at her and unlocked the cage. He gently pried open the squeaking doors, stepping back so she could get out. Slowly she emerged. Leo's eyes widened as he saw her.

A large humanoid fox stepped out of the cage. Her white fur looked grimy as if it hadn't been washed in weeks, but it looked extremely soft. Leo held himself back from petting it as she peered cautiously around the room. Her eyes landed on him, watching him warily. But she didn't seem as suspicious as before. "Why did you help me?"

Leo blinked. "Well you needed it. I couldn't just let you stay in that cage."

She still seemed unsure. "But why? You don't even know me."

"That's true." He agreed. He offered her a warm smile. "But I needed to get you out. Nobody deserves to be trapped."

Amber eyes closed as she let out a deep sigh. "Thank you Leonardo."

Leo slightly jumped as she said his name. He didn't think she had actually heard that part. "Uh just Leo is fine. That's what everyone calls me." She frowned but nodded, saying nothing. He tilted his head, curiosity filling his blue eyes. "So what's your name?"

"I don't have one." She said, surprising him.

She didn't seem bothered by not having a name, but Leo could feel outrage building inside him. "What?!" He exclaimed, surprising them both. "You don't have a name?" Her amber eyes narrowed at him as he realized his mistake. "Oh s-sorry about that, it's just..." He faltered, looking at the ground. "Everybody should have a name."

"You're odd."

Her quiet words made Leo laugh. "Yeah yeah I get that all the time from my sisters." His mood sobered as he frowned. "But you need a name."

She frowned at him. "I don't really think-"

"I'll think of one." Leo cut her off, smiling brightly at her. "I promise to make it super awesome too okay?"

She opened her mouth to respond when the door practically flew off its hinges, surprising the two. Leo grabbed his katana as the fox tensed beside him. Tiger Claw stepped into view, immediately relaxing the turtle. He let out a small sigh. "Jeez Tiger Claw you can't just sneak up on me like that. A little warning next time would be-"

"You decided to just leave the rest of us in the middle of a battle and see nothing wrong with it?" The tiger's words made Leo flinch back. Tiger Claw then noticed the white fox standing beside the turtle. His eyes narrowed as he regarded her. "Who is this?"

Leo blinked, noticing the fox tense beside him at the tiger's attention. "Oh this is uh, well she doesn't have a name yet, but she was here in one of the cages."

She narrowed her eyes at the turtle as she growled. "And who is that?" She pointed at the tiger.

"Oh that's Tiger Claw. He was leading the mission."

Tiger Claw watched her. "You were an experiment of the Kraang."

The fox stiffened. "How did you-"

"I was one too long ago." He answered. "You are a mutant like Leonardo and myself."

She turned back to the turtle. "What about you? Were you an experiment of them too?"

Leo scratched the back of his neck. "Well, not exactly?"

"We can talk more of this later. For now we must report back." Tiger Claw turned towards the fox. "You should come with us."

Both the fox and turtle were surprised. "Why?" She asked the same moment Leo asked "Really?"

Tiger Claw beckoned the two as he turned around, walking back down the hallway. The fox stiffened, but quickly followed after with Leo behind her. The tiger began to speak as he lead them out. "When I managed to escape the clutches of the Kraang, I had no where to go. For years I wandered lost and alone trying to find a place in the world." His amber eyes turned to meet hers. "I have finally found a place. And I believe you will too without having to search for one like I did."

The fox looked at the ground, mulling over the tiger's words. Leo watched her curiously, surprised by the intensity he felt of hoping she would say yes. She noticed his eyes on her and she turned to face him. Blushing slightly he had been caught, he smiled warmly at her and nodded. Her amber eyes widened slightly at him, but she quickly looked away flustered. "I...I guess I'll check it out."

Leo barely contained his squeal of delight, instead focusing on flashing the fox a large smile. "You're going to love it Alopex!"

She stopped, startled by him. Tiger Claw turned as well, surprised by the turtle's exclamation. Leo felt his cheeks burn as he twiddled his fingers. "I saw a sheet on that desk with the key that said alopex and I thought it sounded pretty cool..."

The fox regarded him curiously as Tiger Claw let out a chuckle. She blinked, frowning. "Alopex?"

Leo felt himself wither. "Oh, sorry. It's okay if you don't like it, I just-"

"No." She whispered. Her amber eyes softened slightly. "I think I like the sound of it."

Instantly Leo brightened. "Awesome! Well then Alopex, I know you're just going to love the Foot!"

Alopex scrunched up her nose. "The what now?"

* * *

The Shredder seemed surprised to see another mutant walking in to address him, but he hid it well. Alopex seemed incredibly nervous in his presence, but Leo made sure to stay close. She flashed him a small but grateful smile that he happily returned.

"I take it your mission was successful." The Shredder said, gaining a nod from Tiger Claw. "Then what have you brought here?"

Alopex stiffened at his words, looking ready to snap at him. Leo quickly noticed this and tried to calm the tension. "This is Alopex. She was experimented on by the Kraang like Tiger Claw was. She wants to join the Foot." He sent the fox a comforting glance before returning his gaze to the Shredder. His blue eyes widened as he quickly added. "That is if you will have her Master Shredder."

Golden eyes narrowing at the less than respectful interruption, but ignored it. "Is this true Tiger Claw?"

"Yes Master Shredder. The young fox has no place else to go."

"Hm." The Shredder studied her, making Alopex's fur stand at the scathing glare. "Very well. I will leave her under your tutelage Tiger Claw. Make sure she learns her place."

"Of course Master Shredder." The tiger stood and bowed, with the other two mutants following.

When they were out of the man's view, Alopex relaxed. Leo noticed and gently pat her shoulder, flashing her a smile. "I know he's a little intimidating at first, but you'll get used to it."

She didn't look convinced. "He looked at me like the Kraang did. As a specimen." She spat, glaring at the ground.

Leo retracted his hand. "He's only ever seen a few mutants like us."

Tiger Claw nodded. "You will accustom to everything the Foot has, including the man in charge of it. I urge you to speak respectfully to Master Shredder as well. He has been very kind and accepting to us mutants, when the rest of the world has not."

"Exactly." Leo smiled brightly. "It'll just take some time."

Alopex nodded, though she still looked unsure. "If you say so."

"Leonardo." Tiger Claw turned to the turtle. "Take Alopex to an unoccupied room. I'm sure she would prefer to take small steps in getting used to her new life, and to get cleaned up."

"You got it." The turtle saluted good-naturedly, making the tiger chuckle. Leo turned to the fox. "Alright Alopex follow me to your brand new room!" The turtle marched off, making the fox give the tiger a raised brow. He merely shook his head and gestured for her to follow the child.

Alopex studied her surroundings as they headed for the barracks, staying close to the turtle. Her fur tickled the hairless turtle, but he tried to ignore it. "So Alopex what do you think so far?"

"It's large." She said with a shrug. "And bright I guess."

Leo frowned. "But do you like it?"

"It's better than a cage." Her quipped words shut the turtle's mouth as he lead her.

Silence occupied the two as they arrived to the far end of the barracks. Leo gestured to all the doors. "Pretty much every ninja lives here except for the elite." He pointed to the ceiling. "Me and my sisters live up there. Maybe one day you'll get to too, but you have to be really good." He winked at her as he opened the door. Alopex peeked into the dark room curiously as the turtle smiled. "I thought you'd like it if it was a little farther away from the others. Not every room is being used so no one should really bother you."

Alopex nodded at his words, relaxing a bit at his words. "It's all mine?"

"Oh yeah." Leo flicked the light switch on as he entered. He turned and watched her reaction. "It's kinda small but-"

"No it's fine." Her amber eyes swept the room's interior. "It's better than a cage."

Leo frowned but continued talking. "There's a small bathroom for you too. None of the ninja have to share one so you can get cleaned up in peace." Her eyes brightened at the thought, making the turtle's smile return. "Well I'll let you do that. If you need me I'll be downstairs a couple floors." He gave her a wave as he left, feeling happier than he had in awhile.

* * *

Near the dojo was a small recreation room of sorts, often occupied by ninja that finished training. It was also where Lotus could usually be found crafting some sort of poison. Leo noticed her immediately as he walked in, staring intently at the small violet vial she had. Her hair was perfectly braided and she was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and gray sweater. Her brown eyes traveled up as he came closer, surprise flitting through them before she focused back on her work.

Guilt clawed at Leo as he remembered their earlier spat. Well, his at least. "Hey Lotus."

"Leonardo." She said coolly, not looking up.

The turtle bit his lip, thankful that they were the only two currently in the room. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. That was really messed up of me to do that, especially when you only wanted to help. So, sorry Lotus."

She didn't look at him, making Leo's heart sink. He continued to watch her, but she paid him no attention. Disheartened, Leo lifted his left hand to rub his right arm but winced. He looked down, confused, but then remembered the injury he had obtained from the Kraang.

Lotus let out a sigh, surprising the turtle. "You're so bad with injuries." She stood and removed his left hand to inspect the wound. Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do this time?"

Leo smiled sheepishly. "I sorta got distracted in a fight and a laser bullet thing grazed my arm."

Hey eyes widened as she turned to him. A glare instantly appeared, making Leo shrink back. "You got distracted in a fight and let a _bullet_ hit you?!"

"Grazed." Leo corrected. "And it was more of a laser thing."

The girl sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Of course it was." She grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards a side of the room where simple medical supplies were, in case of any injuries received while training. "Come on. I'll take care of it."

Surprised but relieved, the turtle let himself be pulled along by the girl. She pushed him onto a chair and pulled out a roll of bandages and bottle of antiseptic. Lotus carefully cleaned the area and wrapped a bandage around it. When she was satisfied with her work, she planted her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him. "So do you want to tell me how this happened?"

Leo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well I went on another mission with Tiger Claw to a Kraang base."

Her brown eyes widened. "You got sent on two missions in one night?"

He nodded. "Yep. It was pretty great too, other than that lucky hit." He pouted, but quickly smiled. "I met someone new too!"

"What?" Lotus raised a brow. "You met someone new?"

Leo nodded, opening his mouth to reply when he noticed movement in his peripheral. He turned to the door and instantly brightened. "Alopex! I didn't think you'd be so quick."

Lotus's eyes widened at the fox mutant, stunned. Alopex regarded the two as she crossed her arms. "I only needed a quick wash. I wasn't planning on having soaking wet fur all night."

Leo laughed at the thought before he realized the two girls were staring at each other, rather tensely. "Oh Alopex I want you to meet my sister Lotus. And Lotus, this is Alopex who I met at the Kraang base."

Lotus quickly regained her composure, bowing politely. "My apologies Alopex. It is a pleasure to meet you. Leo was just talking about you."

Alopex watched her warily. "He was?"

"Yeah she was wondering how I got injured." Leo explained, gesturing to his bandaged arm. "And then I told her about my mission."

"Is that all?" The fox stood rigid. "Nothing about how you freed me from a cage?"

Leo frowned. "I hadn't gotten to that part yet." He turned to Lotus. "The Kraang were doing experiments and I found Alopex while chasing after one of the Kraang. I got her out of a cage and then Tiger Claw burst through the door. He decided Alopex should come back with us to the Foot and so we met with the Shredder, who said she could stay." His blue eyes sparkled. "Isn't that great?"

"Indeed." Lotus smiled warmly at her brother. She turned to the fox. "I'm glad to see you're fine after all I'm sure you went through and that you chose to join the Foot. I've only been here a couple of years, but I'm sure you will grow to be just as fond of it as I am."

Alopex shrugged, shuffling uncomfortably. "I keep hearing about how great it is."

"Is there something wrong Alopex?" Leo asked, his blue eyes shining with concern.

"Not really. I just feel a little exposed that's all."

Lotus's brown eyes studied the fox. "Do you want something to wear? I know Leo doesn't exactly wear clothes but I'm sure I can find some if you want them."

Amber eyes shifted to the ground. "If it wouldn't be too much of a problem."

Lotus smiled as she stood. "Alright. I should be able to find something in my room." She walked towards the door, motioning for the fox to follow. Alopex hesitated for a moment before following with Leo right behind her.

The group made their way upstairs, stopping in front of Lotus's room. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for the fox to enter. Alopex slowly walked in with Leo behind her, but he was stopped by an arm his in way. "Hey what gives Lotus?" He pouted.

The older girl gave him an amused smile. "We girls don't need a boy to help us change now do we?"

His cheeks lit up as he crossed his arms, glaring at the girl. He stuck his tongue out before stomping over to his room, mumbling to himself. Lotus managed to catch something about Alopex already being unclothed, making the girl laugh at her little brother. Alopex watched the exchange curiously, but felt herself warm from seeing the turtle blush. Lotus turned back to the fox, smiling. "So let's find something for you shall we?"

 **Yep. Alopex. When I wrote this, it was in August or September of last year before Alopex was announced for the show. I'd already created her place in the story, so when I saw she was coming into the show, I got a little miffed. But I decided to keep her as I envisioned her, since I'd already written quite a bit and didn't want to change anything. So Alopex will be yet another lovely character but not as she is in the show. Just to clarify things.  
I also should mention there's still a couple chapters before the Foot heads to New York. I wanted to build some background first.  
** **In the next chapter, Leo and his new friend may have bitten off more than they can chew.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This story is already at 30,000 words? Wow. Even I'm surprised. It's not close to being finished though...**

Alopex quickly adjusted to life in the Foot, much to Leo's delight. The fox threw herself into training, mostly with Tiger Claw and Leo, and proved herself to be an adept warrior. She was strong and fast, able to keep pace with Leo rather easily. But she never pulled her punches, and it surprised the turtle just how powerful she was. He already had several bruises from her, but she never apologized for them. It later occurred to Leo, that she fought every battle as if it was the only one. As if it could be her last.

He had brought it up with Tiger Claw when the fox wasn't around, and the tiger had agreed. "She grew accustomed to being in a cage without any chance of a fight. Having that chance now is everything to her. Try not to be too angry with her."

But Leo could never be angry with her about that. Alopex was a welcome change in his life. She understood what it felt like to be trapped, though her understanding was much harsher than his. She also didn't seem to get along with many in the Foot, preferring to find the turtle when she wanted company. Leo was thrilled at having his company wanted, but he also went out of his way to get her to mingle with other members. Alopex seemed to get along well with Lotus as well, and often he found the two in each other's company, not needing words to fill the silence.

Karai on the other hand, was one of those the fox didn't get along with. Their first meeting always made the turtle cringe at the thought, and he tried to avoid the memory at all costs. Karai was often loud and brash, loving to get into mischief. Alopex was quiet and calculating, preferring to keep to herself. But both girls had a short temper, the turtle mused, so at least they had something in common.

Although he would have to change the part of Karai being the troublesome one. Several weeks after the fox had joined the Foot, Leo found her sneaking out of the building. At first he assumed she was going on a mission, but not seeing Tiger Claw anywhere near her lead him to follow her. After all, she wasn't supposed to leave at all being a mutant, and especially not when she wasn't with the tiger.

Leo followed her across the city, easily keeping up with her without her noticing his presence. He was extremely lucky the wind was blowing so she wouldn't catch his scent, otherwise she would be on him in a heartbeat. He followed her for nearly an hour, curious as to where she could be going. Alopex didn't seem to have any destination in mind, merely running across the rooftops. She suddenly stopped, tilting her head up to the sky. He heard a small sigh come from her, and that's when it hit him. She wanted to be free. Being forced in a cage for who knows how long and then stuck in a building for weeks, she wanted to finally get out. Unfortunately for him, a loud car honk behind him made the fox wheel around, instantly spotting him.

Her amber eyes narrowed. "What are you doing Leo?"

The turtle tried to avoid her withering glare as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I was following you?"

Alopex folded her arms. "Why?"

"Well you aren't technically supposed to be out here." Leo explained, shrugging. "And I wanted to know what you were doing so I followed. But I think I know why."

She didn't look convinced. "And why is that?"

"You wanted to feel free." She blinked at him, seemingly surprised so he quickly continued. "You were stuck in that cage for a long time and then you got stuck inside the Foot HQ for weeks. And I get that. You wanted to be outside in the fresh air with nothing surrounding you. I know cause I get that too."

She tilted her head. "Really? But I thought you got to go out whenever, seeing how you are an elite and all."

Leo shook his head. "I may be, but that doesn't exactly get me all the privileges in the world. Being a mutant, I can't go out in fear I get caught or seen." He sighed. "I can only go out on missions. That's why I train a lot."

"So you're an elite and the Shredder's son, but you can't go out with permission." The fox scowled. "That doesn't make any sense."

Surprised by her thoughts, but also overjoyed, Leo sent her a warm smile. "I'm glad someone thinks so. All the humans can go as they please, but we mutants are stuck inside."

Alopex turned away from him, obviously flustered. She glared at the ground, pondering over something that made the turtle curious. "Alopex what-"

A sudden crash below them made the two instantly rush over to the roof's side to peer over, their eyes widening at what they saw. A white van was being loaded up with some sort of technology, but that's not what caught the two's attention. Three identical looking men in black suits were standing beside it, talking about something. Most likely whatever they had dropped.

Leo felt Alopex stiffen beside him, a low growl rumbling in her throat. He gently laid a hand on her shoulder to calm her, but kept his blue eyes trained on the Kraang. What were they doing here?

"Come on." Leo barely registered what Alopex had said when she suddenly jumped down. Panic rushed through him as he scrambled to his feet, watching as she stalked towards the men. The three noticed the mutant walking towards them, but no expression crossed their face. "Kraang. It is the experiment of Kraang that was taken when Kraang was attacked by others not experimented on by Kraang."

"Kraang realizes this Kraang. Kraang must take in this experiment of Kraang for further experimenting of Kraang."

Alopex snarled at the men, unsheathing her chosen kama she had strapped to her hips. Realization set in of the upcoming battle she was walking towards, making the turtle swiftly shake his head and unsheathe his own weapons. He jumped down, quickly following after the fox. She made no notice of him at her side when she attacked.

The Kraang pulled out their weapons and began to fire, but rage burning through the fox made her almost twice as fast and incredibly stronger as she ripped through one of the men. Leo engaged with another as she moved to the third man, hate brimming in her amber eyes. The Kraang were destroyed in less than a minute, but Alopex continued to glare down at their bodies as she breathed heavily.

Leo unsheathed his katana, walking over to the fox. Concern filled his gaze. "Alopex, you shouldn't have done that."

"Done what?" She snarled, turning her hate-filled glare towards him. He flinched, taking a cautious step back. "Isn't this what they deserve? To be ripped apart like they do with their experiments?"

Leo shook his head, raising his hands to calm her. "Alopex that's not what I meant. You could have gotten hurt rushing in like that. Or they could have taken you again. I don't want that to happen."

The fox blinked several times. "What?"

The turtle wasn't sure what she was referring to, but he gave her a sad smile. "You're my friend Alopex. I don't get to make a lot of new ones, and I don't meet many that I like as much as you."

She turned away, folding her arms but didn't say anything. Leo continued to watch her from a distance before sighing. He looked up, noticing the sky beginning to brighten. "We should start heading back." He said quietly, walking back towards the building they had come from. A white paw snatched his arm, surprising him. Leo turned back towards her, confusion filling his eyes as she looked away from him. "Alopex what-"

"I'm sorry for snapping at you." She whispered, not meeting his gaze. "You don't deserve that. But I...when I saw them I just wanted to tear them apart. I wanted to hurt them like they hurt me. They deserve that don't they?" Her grip tightened, but Leo didn't notice as she turned her amber orbs towards him. "And I've grown to like you too Leo. I never thought I'd make a friend, let alone want one, but I...I really like you and I hope we can be friends for a long time..."

Leo gasped, shocked by her. She turned away, uncomfortable with the heartfelt words but happiness swelled in the turtle. Quickly he wrapped her in a tight hug, surprising her. "Leo what-"

"Thanks Alopex." He said, snuggling into her fur. She hesitated a moment, but wrapped her arms around him. "I hope we can be friends for a long time too."

The two stood for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms. But remembering how long they'd been gone, Leo pulled away. "Well we better head back before anyone knows we were gone."

She nodded, sending him a small smile. "Alright. Lead the way."

He flashed her a bright smile, flustering her, and climbed up the building. The two raced across the rooftops, not saying a word. They didn't need to.

* * *

Leo and Alopex managed to sneak back into Foot HQ with no one knowing they had even been gone. The turtle walked the fox to her room, the two simply enjoying each other's company. As the turtle gave her a final smile and turned to leave, she hesitated. "Leo wait."

Confused, he turned. She looked uncertain, making him frown. "What's wrong?"

"The Kraang." She said simply. "Obviously there are more of them in this city than just the ones that were experimenting on me. I want to take them out."

Leo felt his blood freeze. His eyes widened as he opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"I know it's crazy." Alopex said, crossing her arms. "But they're running rampant and I can't just let them. I want to get rid of them."

"Alopex what-" Leo shook his head, still dazed. "Look I know you hate them for what they did, I totally get that, but we don't know how many there are. And besides we aren't even supposed to leave the building. We were lucky no one caught us tonight but this, this is crazy. You know that right?"

She nodded, determination filling her gaze. "I know it is. But they need to be taken down. And there's no one I trust more to help me do that."

Leo sighed, rubbing his face. "This might get us killed you know."

Alopex smiled. "We'll just have to see."

* * *

Sneaking outside several times a week turned about to be much easier than Leo had previously thought. He thanked his extensive training and Alopex's determination for that.

The first two weeks they had gone out searching for any sign of the Kraang was fruitless. The two searched other old warehouses near where Alopex was found, and they surveyed the area around where they had found the Kraang loading the van. Nothing. Leo could tell the fox was getting increasingly agitated. How did they just happen to stumble upon the Kraang the first time but when they were actually looking for the robotic men there was nothing?

The only good thing Leo found, was being able to get outside. While searching one night, he realized he had been out of the Foot building more in the past few weeks than he had in years. It was surprisingly and slightly frightening for him, but he tried to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.

Getting to know Alopex more was great too. Leo hadn't felt so connected to someone since he had met Lotus two years ago, and he felt in time he would call Alopex his sister too. But that was if she felt the same. Lotus had easily bonded with the turtle, showing early on in their relationship that she was definitely the older sister type. She liked to tease Leo and Karai when she could, and Lotus was never afraid to scold the two of them. Alopex on the other hand, preferred quiet companionship and hadn't yet showed any improvement with Karai. Leo mused he'd have to do something about that.

But for now, he'd have to focus on keeping up with the fox. She was a rooftop ahead of him, sprinting as hard as she could. Leo frowned, knowing she was growing more perturbed with no sign of the Kraang.

The turtle eventually caught up to the fox after she started to slow down. Her breaths were ragged, and she was shaking. Leo laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Alopex shrugged him off. "I'm fine."

"No you're not." Leo sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Everyday we come out here and there's no sign of the Kraang you get more stressed. And don't try to deny it. Lotus and Tiger Claw know something's bothering you and if you keep running yourself down like this we'll eventually get found out. And that definitely won't be pretty." He shivered, picturing the punishments the Shredder would have for them.

"You just don't get it." Alopex said quietly, looking up to the moon. "The Kraang did horrible things and they'll keep doing horrible things if they aren't stopped."

Leo frowned. He wanted to comfort the fox, but she was incredibly stubborn. "Maybe we should just head back for the night Alopex. We aren't finding anything."

She turned to face him, sighing. "Fine." The fox brushed past him as she headed back the way they had come. Leo watched her for a moment, wondering if he should had ever agreed to this in the first place.

Suddenly Alopex froze, ears flicking back and forth. Leo walked up to her side, instantly on the lookout. But he couldn't see or hear anything. He turned to her, confused. "Alopex what-"

"Be quiet." She snapped, effectively shutting up the turtle. Another flick of her ears, and her amber eyes widened. In a flash she was gone from his side, racing away. Leo mumbled a curse under his breath as he tried to keep up. The fox ran as if from her death, and the turtle was more than curious as to what she had heard. It didn't take but another minuted for Leo to pick up on what sounded all too familiar. Laser fire. The Kraang.

The two halted at the edge of a rooftop nearest the sound, peering over the edge. It was the Kraang, though whatever they had been firing at was gone. Or destroyed, Leo mused. Five identical looking men were walking towards a building. It looked nothing like the warehouse they had been stationed at. This base of theirs was different.

Alopex tensed beside him, looking ready to jump down. Leo quickly grabbed her arm, causing her to face him. He shook his head, making her amber eyes flare. "We finally find the Kraang and you want me to just sit back and _watch_ them?" She spat fiercely.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "We don't know how many more there could be in there. Going now would be suicide." The fox growled at him but made no further move to engage the Kraang. Leo turned back towards the men, noticing them activate something on the wall. One of them quickly tapped it several times, causing a door to open up. Alopex stiffened beside him as the Kraang walked into the base, the door closing behind them, effectively shutting out any intruders.

Leo studied the building the Kraang had entered for any sort of cameras. When he saw nothing, he jumped down and carefully headed towards where the Kraang had gone. He felt Alopex beside him in an instance, her fur standing as she lowered her ears. He examined where the Kraang had gone through. It looked like any wall, no sign of a door at all. The turtle tilted his head, wondering just how the Kraang had made a door appear.

"Cowards." Alopex growled from beside him. "Using tricks to keep us out."

Leo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Not tricks. Technology." He pointed towards where the keypad had been. "I bet if I just press here..." Leo pushed the area, his eyes lighting up when the section of the wall flipped to reveal the keypad. "There'll be a keypad." He flung a smug smile at the fox. "Not so tricky now huh?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's the code then?"

Instantly his cocky mood vanished as he turned towards the keypad. "Uh...I didn't exactly see that?" His smile turned sheepish as she growled at him. It had been quite a distance, how was he supposed to have seen?

"Then we'll just have to test some out."

Alopex raised her paw and was about to jab the keypad, but Leo quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Wait. We don't know what'll happen if it's a wrong code. The Kraang could know we're here and then we'd be in big trouble."

"So what do you propose we do then?" The fox snapped, growing more agitated. "We just found them and now we can't even get to them because of a stupid keypad?"

"We'll figure this out." Leo promised, glancing up at the lightening sky. "But not now. We need to head back and look more into it."

Alopex sighed, but it came out as more of a growl. "Fine. But we're coming right back here tomorrow night."

Leo nodded, knowing the fox would do it even if he disagreed. "Alright. Then let's go."

* * *

Alopex immediately went to her room when they returned, leaving the turtle to his thoughts. Leo sighed, rubbing his head. How were they supposed to get into a Kraang base undetected? The Kraang seemed to be technologically adept, but Leo was anything but. He knew how to work simple things, like a phone, but anything else was not his forte. Lotus and Karai had little experience dealing with technology as well. Lotus focused more on poisons while Karai worked on her battle skills. He wouldn't be able to find help there.

However, he remembered correctly there was a small lab of sorts where scientists worked. The Shredder was no fool, knowing technology was a growing thing in the world. Sure the Foot Clan was more focused on power of the body, but there were some that were a tad more focused on technological matters. Leo had never gone to the lab, not finding any interest in it, but now he regretted that. Maybe someone could help him there though. It was his best option.

Nodding to himself, the turtle set off for the lab. It was located on the second floor, tucked away where few would wander. It was strange, walking into the lab. Various noises filled the air as several men shuffled about. Leo noticed brightly colored chemicals in vials and cabinets filled with different glasses. There was a foul odor milling about too, but the humans didn't seem to notice it. In fact, they didn't seem to notice much as the mutant turtle walked in. Leo blinked, observing them. He didn't recognize any of them, all older looking men who hustled about.

"Heyo Master Leonardo! What're you doing down here?"

The sudden shout startled the scientists and Leo, who wheeled around in surprise. A younger man he recognized as one that often goofed off was standing behind him, flashing him a too bright smile. Leo frowned, crossing his arms in annoyance. "If you must know, I came down here for some help." He turned back to the scientists. "But I don't think I'll find it here."

"Ah man why's that?" The young man frowned at him. "These guys might be a bunch of old bastards but they're super smart!" The older men each flashed a glare at the younger, before turning back to their work.

Leo shared the same sentiment, fixing the younger man with an annoyed glance. "That's no way to address your elders." Blue eyes narrowed. "What's your name?"

"You don't remember me?" The man looked offended, but a smile quickly grew back. "I'm the one and only Toru, at your service." The man bowed, further annoying the turtle.

"Well then Toru, if you'd excuse me. I've got things to attend to." The young turtle said, walking around the man.

"Ah come on Master Leo sir, no need to be so rotten."

Anger flashed through the turtle as he turned on the man. "Stop bothering me." He spat, blue eyes ablaze. "I'm trying to find some help hacking into something and you're not helping."

The man's eyebrows rose. "Hacking into something huh? Doesn't seem like something I'd find you doing." His grin returned. "But if you're looking for help in the master of hacking things, you've come to the right place."

Dread filled the turtle. "Don't tell me you're the one that knows about that..."

"Oh I totally am." The man said with an irritating grin as she gestured to himself. "I'm the best in the whole Foot Clan when it comes to technology. Guess you're in luck huh?"

"Oh definitely." The turtle said through clenched teeth, but the man didn't seem deterred by his foul mood. Leo let out a deep sigh. "So then Toru, I need your assistance if you have the time."

"Right now little dude?"

 _Control yourself Leo._ "Yes." The turtle seethed. "Right now."

"No problemo then." The man said. "I've got plenty of time to spare. Just follow me."

Toru lead Leo back down the hallway to another door the turtle hadn't paid any attention to. The man opened the door and gestured for the turtle enter, sliding in behind him. Leo's eyes widened as he saw his surroundings. The room wasn't very big, but it was filled with all different types of gadgets. There were several computers lined up to one side of the room and a variety of other things Leo didn't recognize. Each desk and table in the room was covered in scattered papers and several snack bags. Leo felt his stomach flip at the chaos, trying to hold himself back from cleaning up or yelling at the man responsible for such a mess. Toru didn't seem fazed by any of it, instead walking over to one of the computers.

"Alright then. This stuff might be hard to get down at first, but once you get it you've got it. Pretty simple stuff I think, but then I am a master at it." Leo rolled his eyes at the man's cockiness. Maybe he had a way with technology, but no doubt the man wouldn't last five seconds in a fight.

"Whatever. Just show me the basics."

Toru winked at him. "You gotcha little man!"

Leo twitched, barely restraining himself from wrapping his hands around the man's neck. He already regretted this...

Hours were spent of Toru walking through how to hack into a variety of things, and much to Leo's surprise the guy wasn't a bad teacher. Toru also seemed surprised with how quickly the turtle caught on. "Woah dude, it's like you're a natural at this! Maybe one day, you'll be a master like me!" Leo rolled his eyes, hoping he would never be comparable to this man.

When Leo felt he had a good understanding and would be able to hack into the Kraang's system, he nearly keeled over from exhaustion. Sneaking out and spending hours staring at a computer really took a number out of you, he mused.

Toru pat his shoulder in congratulations. "Well I think you've got it. You catch on quick. But I gotta ask you one thing. What did you want to learn this stuff for?"

Leo felt his irritation build. He didn't like the man, and spending hours alone listening to his annoying voice rattle on when he just wanted to sleep was enough to push him over the edge. "It's none of your business." Leo snapped, crossing his arms.

"Woah jeez, I was just curious." Toru frowned. "Though you do kinda owe me for making me teach you."

Leo felt his temper spike, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the man. "I don't owe you a thing." He spat. "As the son of the Master Shredder it is your duty as a mere Foot ninja to do what I demand. Got it?"

The man took several steps back, holding his hands up. "Okay man, jeez. Just calm down."

Leo sent the man a final poisoned glare before turning to leave. At the door, he heard the man mumble under his breath. Instantly the turtle spun around. "I didn't quite catch that. Repeat it."

The man's eyes widened, but quickly narrowed. "I just said I thought you were a pretty cool dude but you're just a complete jerk."

"Your opinion means nothing to me." Leo spat. "You're nothing if not replaceable." The man's eyes widened at the threat, but the turtle merely walked away. He had what he came for.

* * *

Leo and Alopex found themselves back at the Kraang base the next night. The fox was even more determined now that she knew where they were hiding out, clutching onto the satchel she had brought. She couldn't help but to glance over at the turtle several times. He seemed on edge, acting more closed off than usual. But for now they had to deal with the Kraang, she could ask him about his behavior later.

"You got this figured out?" Alopex asked as he activated the keypad.

"Yes." Leo said without looking at her. He pulled out a thin kunai and used it to pry back the keypad's cover. She raised a brow, surprised, but said nothing as she watched the turtle work. His deft fingers quickly pulled out several wires and began to work with them. She had no idea what he was doing, but she trusted he did. Another minute of the turtle messing around with the keypad when the doors suddenly opened. Leo smiled, finally she thought, and turned to her. "Told you."

"I see that." She smiled back, but instantly sobered as she turned towards the door. Leo stood beside her as they peered in. This was it, they mused. Alopex took a deep breath. "Let's go."

The base from the outside looked like any old building in a rougher part of Tokyo, but inside was a completely different story. Leo gaped as he looked around. The walls were made of some kind of silver metal with a bright pink line cutting through the center of the ceiling. It definitely wasn't like anything he had ever seen. Alopex didn't seem to be in the mood for sightseeing as she slowly crept forward, ears flicking back and forth. Leo stepped closer, trusting the fox to alert him of any danger.

But there was no sign of the Kraang. It was eerily quiet, making apprehension build in the turtle. He had expected more Kraang with it being a rather large building, but the only thing he heard was the faint humming of the lights. Alopex was no better off, paws gripping her kama strapped to her hips so tightly Leo thought her fingers would lock up. He could practically feel the unease running off her.

The sudden sound of feet hitting the floor instantly had the two unsheathing their weapons as they fell back into battle stances. They didn't have to wait long when a single Kraang rounded the corner, halting when it saw them. It's lifeless face made no expression of surprise, but instantly it raised its gun to fire. It wasn't given a chance to fire one laser. A shuriken struck the barrel of the gun as Alopex leaped forward, slashing the droid in half. The pink creature nestled inside instantly starting squealing as it shot out of the body. But Alopex was on it in a heartbeat, holding the creature up by its tentacles.

Leo walked over, eyeing it closely. "Got a new toy?" He said as a smirk crossed his face.

"More like a punching bag." Alopex growled at it. It's yellow eyes nearly popped out of its head as it struggled in her tight grip. Without another word, the fox grabbed one of her kama and sliced the creature in half. It's yellow blood splattered over the two.

"Gross." Leo said as he stuck his tongue out, trying to wipe the blood off. "Did you have to do that when I was right there?"

"No." Alopex said simply as she tossed the severed body, sheathing her kama. "Let's keep going."

The turtle rolled his eyes but complied, following the fox past the body. The two continued on, not meeting any more resistance. Leo didn't know if he should feel relieved or worried about that.

After a few minutes of wandering, Alopex paused. Her ears flicked. "There are more up ahead."

Leo tensed. "How many?"

She listened. "I can't tell. Five maybe? Maybe more. But I think they're behind a door or something. They don't know we're here."

"Guess we got lucky then." Leo said, letting out a small sigh. "Y'know for awhile there, I was thinking it was too quiet."

Suddenly loud blares sounded as the lights darkened, making the two jump. Alopex whipped around on the turtle with a scathing glare. Leo rubbed his head sheepishly. "Uh spoke too soon?"

"They must have found the body." Alopex said. "We have to hurry."

Leo nodded, and the two began to sprint through the hall. Alopex quickly rounded a turn with Leo on her tail, but the turtle stopped. The fox felt the loss of his presence at her side and she turned, noticing the turtle looking at the ceiling. "Leo we don't have time to-"

"The pink line, it goes the other way."

Alopex blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"We should follow it I think." Leo said, pointing in the opposite direction where the pink line lead. "This way." Without another word of explanation, the turtle ran off. Alopex let out a growl before following him.

Much to the fox's surprise, Leo had been right in following the pink line. The duo came upon a set of doors lined in pink, and Alopex could make out the sounds of Kraang inside. The blaring sirens kept blasting but none of the Kraang inside seemed to care. This was it.

"Ready?" The fox asked.

Leo nodded. "Definitely."

Without another word, the two burst through the door, surprising the Kraang. Alopex tore through the nearest with her kama while Leo headed in the opposite direction, unleashing his katana upon another. The Kraang stationed around a large control panel attempted to reach for their guns, but the turtle and fox were too quick, easily taking their enemies down without resistance. As quickly as the fight began, it was over.

Alopex snarled at the last Kraang she had taken down while Leo studied the control panel. "There's a whole lot of stuff here." He murmured quietly.

"The Kraang have always been rather obsessed with having more than necessary." The fox scowled.

Leo shrugged. "I bet we can turn off the alarm somehow." He looked down at all the buttons and switches. "Maybe?"

"No time." Alopex said gruffly as she rummaged through the satchel Leo had forgotten she had.

"What are you-"

The fox pulled out several boxes Leo couldn't identify. Quickly she pressed several buttons on each and started placing them around the room while the turtle watched her, confusion swimming in his eyes. "This'll take care of them." She said simply, stepping back to admire her work. She turned back to Leo. "We need to go. Now."

"Uh. Alopex." Leo said uneasily. "What are those?"

"Bombs. Now we need to go now."

Leo blinked. Once, twice, before his eyes shot open. " _Bombs?! Why do you have bombs?!"_

Alopex grabbed his arm as she growled. "I'll explain later. Now come on before we both get blown into smithereens."

"You already set them?!" Leo gaped at her. "Why didn't you tell me before you set them to go off?"

She tugged at his frozen form. "Because I didn't think I'd have to drag your shell out of a building when it's going to blow up in less than five minutes."

"FIVE MINUTES? Are you insane?!" He shouted, making her ears tilt back.

"Maybe. Now let's _go._ " Alopex roughly pulled him as she started to run, making the turtle nearly fall over.

Quickly he regained his footing as he sprinted beside her. Leo sent her a glare. "You are so going to pay for this."

Alopex rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I will. Now hurry up or we'll both die." The turtle didn't need to be told twice as they quickened their pace. They weaved through the hallway, rounding corners easily. Several Kraang, alerted by the alarms, were wandering the halls but were quickly dispatched by the two as they ran for their lives.

The two made record time at arriving at the entrance. Alopex stopped in her tracks, making Leo nearly run into her. She made no move to leave, confusing the turtle. "Uh earth to Alopex. We're kind of in the middle of escaping a building that's about to explode. Open the door already."

"It's another code." She huffed, pushing him towards it. "Hurry up and do what you did before."

Leo frowned at her, but quickly turned to the keypad. His blood ran cold as he stiffened. Alopex instantly noticed, looking over his shoulder. "What? Hurry up and do it already."

The turtle shook his head, turning to look at her. "This one is different. I don't think I can do what I did before."

The fox let out a growl. "Well figure this one out. We're running out of time."

Leo felt his temper spike, wanting to turn on the fox and shout at her. _She_ was the one who set the bombs. Why should he have to be the one to hold their lives in his hands? The turtle took a deep breath, focusing on the keypad. He could deal with her later, for now he had to make sure they didn't die. His nimble fingers flashed across the keypad's screen, using his meager knowledge he had gained the night before to save his shell now.

"Hurry." He faintly heard Alopex growl at him, but his mind was too focused to hear her. _Come on, come on..._

A loud ding and the walls slid apart with a hiss, opening up to the outside. Leo mumbled a quiet prayer of thanks before rushing outside, Alopex beside him. The two quickly scaled the nearest building and hightailed it over the rooftops. Only a few seconds later and a deafening boom filled the air, knocking the two off their feet.

Leo's wide blue eyes swiveled behind him, gasping at the large fiery explosion. He quickly turned a glare on the fox, who was watching the scene with amber eyes wide open. She noticed his attention and turned to face him. "I-I didn't think it would be that big..." She stumbled out.

"Totally. Your. Fault." He spat, but without any real venom. Leo let out a sigh as he shakily stood. He held out a hand for the fox, which she took with a nod as he hauled her up. The two watched the fire billowing for a moment longer. Leo turned to the fox. "So...bombs?"

Alopex shivered, closing her amber eyes. "Never again..." Her meek voice made the turtle laugh as they headed back to the Foot HQ, the fire lighting up the sky behind them.

 **Now, before you ask, yes my own knowledge on technology is limited. If it seems like a stretch Leo learned some basic hacking things so quickly, oops but oh well.  
** **In the next chapter, a bit of surprising news changes everything.**


	6. Chapter 6

_5 Years Later..._

Leo felt his lungs burning as he ran after Alopex, his legs almost numb beneath him, but he didn't slow his pace down. The fox was fast sure, but he was faster. Putting on an extra burst, he shot past the fox, his laughter ringing out through the air. "And you thought turtles were slow!" Her amber eyes narrowed as she scowled at him, attempting to regain her lead but to no avail. The turtle's face hurt from smiling so much as he kept ahead of her.

The turtle managed to stay in the lead all the way back to the Foot HQ, giving the fox a cocky smirk. "Never...call a turtle...slow...again." Leo huffed out, fighting off laughter as he caught his breath.

Alopex rolled her eyes. "Whatever..." She brushed past him towards the door. "Let's just get back in before someone notices we're gone."

"Yeah, yeah." Leo said, crossing his arms behind his head as he followed her. "But the only ones who'd know we're out are busy having their own fun in the city. No reason we couldn't either."

"The Shredder might have found it." Alopex pointed out.

"Nah, the guy might be a great ninja master, but he's too busy to worry about us sneaking out every now and then. It's kinda funny."

Alopex smirked at him. "Let him hear you talk about him like that and we'll see about that."

Leo shivered, sending her a glare. "He'd skin you before he'd do anything to me."

"Probably." Her ears flattened. "But it wouldn't be easy."

"True." Leo patted her shoulder. "I've seen you giving Tiger Claw trouble and that's saying something. Remind me never to piss you off."

The fox smiled at him genuinely, making Leo beam. She rarely smiled like that, and it never failed to put the turtle in a good mood. "I have to admit he's still too much for me." Alopex said, still smiling. "But I've gotten a few hits on him that I think have left marks."

"Are you kidding me?" Leo scoffed at her. "You've gotten more than a few hits on him Alopex. And I know he's felt them, cause I did too and I wasn't even fighting."

Alopex rolled her eyes. "You are so dramatic."

"Guilty." He said with a flourished bow, making the fox laugh; another rare occurrence. "So what're you going to do now?"

She shrugged. "Probably clean up. My fur got a little singed. And after that I'm going to sleep."

Leo nodded. "Yeah you smell like you could use a shower."

Alopex hit him upside the head, but he only laughed. "You're such a brat." She growled.

"True." He winked at her. "But you love me."

The fox crossed her arms as she stalked away, fighting off her blush. Leo merely laughed at her as he headed to his own room. Sometimes it was just too easy to rile her up. Karai had taught him well.

As soon as the turtle reached his bed, he collapsed on it, rolling over onto his shell. The smile on his face hadn't left as he lay there, sighing in content. It had been a good night, he mused.

It hadn't started out all that well, with Lotus and Karai going out to enjoy themselves, leaving their mutant siblings behind. Leo didn't blame them for having some fun though, after all they deserved it. And he didn't want to ruin some rare free time they had just because he was jealous. Of course he had started brooding as soon as they had left, but Alopex had quickly swooped in, no doubt knowing he would be feeling a bit down. Her 'remedy' of course, was sneaking out and causing some trouble across town.

They hadn't been out in awhile, he realized. Over the years, the two had continued going after the Kraang, but they saw fewer and fewer of the mechanical men as time went on. In the past year, the two hadn't seen the Kraang at all. It must have been luck that tonight they would find the Kraang again, he thought with a smile. Leo let out a content sigh, closing his eyes and ignoring the slight discomfort of his gear digging into his skin.

A knock on his door made Leo frown as he lazily opened his eyes. He debated ignoring it, letting whoever it was know he didn't want to be bothered. But it was probably important and he didn't want to risk any sort of punishment for laziness. With a sigh, Leo pushed himself off his bed and walked towards the door. He opened it, eyes dulled as he looked upon the Foot ninja in front of him.

The ninja quickly bowed. "Master Leonardo, my apologies for disturbing you."

"Yeah, yeah." Leo waved him off. "What do you need?"

"Master Shredder requests your presence."

 _Of course he does._ "Thanks. I'll head up there. You're dismissed."

The ninja bowed again and left, leaving the turtle to his thoughts. Leo pulled out his phone hooked onto his belt. 1:43am it read, making the turtle sigh. It was too late for this. Or early, he thought dryly. Chuckling to himself, Leo headed up to see the Shredder, more annoyed than curious as to what the man wanted. It never was anything too exciting or interesting, so he wasn't expecting much.

Leo entered the throne room, trying to hide the boredom that would have been plainly displayed on his face. He kneeled in front of the armored man, eyes meeting the ground. "You called for me Master Shredder."

"Leonardo. I have been informed of something gravely important. There have been sightings of ninjas in New York."

Leo frowned, surprised yet confused. Ninjas in New York? He hadn't heard much of any ninjas other than the Foot Clan in Japan, so what would ninjas be doing halfway around the world? And why was this so important? "Master Shredder, if I may." Leo looked up at the man. "Why is this such a concern that you would tell me?"

The Shredder's blazing eyes narrowed, something unreadable filling them. "These are no ordinary ninjas. A shuriken of theirs was found. It bared the mark of the Hamato Clan."

Leo froze, breath hitching as he heard the words. _Hamato..._ Bewildered blue eyes met golden, and the turtle realized the emotions running through his father. The only Hamato to survive was Hamato Yoshi, the man who had murdered Oroku Saki's wife. And Karai's mother.

The Shredder stood, turning towards the window to look out on the lit up night sky. "No doubt you realize the severity of the situation. Hamato Yoshi is alive and hiding in New York City like a coward. He must be destroyed." The man's fists clenched at his sides.

The turtle, still shocked, shook his head to clear it. This was...insane. After all these years, the stories of a murderer that had seemed like out of a book, were reappearing. The scars that had been buried beneath years of grief were rubbing raw and fresh. _What would Karai say?_ Leo's eyes widened. Karai should know about this. This was the man that had killed her mother, she needed to know. "K-Karai Master Shredder. Does she know?"

"No." The Shredder said, turning to face him. "Call her and tell her to return immediately. She must know as soon as possible."

Leo nodded shakily. "Hai Master Shredder. I will do it at once." He quickly stood and bowed, preparing to leave.

"Wait Leonardo." The turtle halted in his tracks, turning to face the Shredder. The man descended the stairs, stopping in front of the confused turtle. He placed a hand on the turtle's shoulder. "We will be departing to New York as soon as we can. You should know this will be unlike anything you have ever done. But as my son, I know that you will do whatever must be done to take revenge on Hamato Yoshi."

Leo felt himself perk up despite the dark mood. In his entire life, he had only been recognized by the Shredder as his son a handful of times. Each moment was incredibly precious to the turtle, but he fought down the proud smile he dearly wanted to sport, determination lighting up his eyes. "Hai father. I will do whatever it takes to help you and Karai get your revenge."

"Good. I expect you will. Now, go and tell Karai. We will be leaving in several hours."

"Of course." Leo bowed, leaving quickly.

His heart was pounding as he traversed the quiet hallways, stopping when he knew he was quite a ways from the throne room. With slightly trembling hands, the turtle grabbed his phone and quickly called Karai. Each ring without an answer left him feeling more tense, but finally she picked up. "Hey little brother, are you missing me that much?" He could practically see her smirk. But now wasn't the time for teasing.

"Karai. You need to get back here now."

Leo's demand seemed to surprise her, as she took a moment to respond. "Uh Leo, are you okay? What's going on?"

"I can't tell you over the phone." He said shakily, already dreading her expression to the 'news'. "Just get back here."

"Okay, okay." The confusion in her tone was evident. "I'll be there soon."

The turtle sighed. "Hurry." He hung up without another word, and started towards his room, knowing Karai would look for him there first.

But how was he supposed to tell her that the man who had killed her mother was still alive? It felt like something heavy was pressing down on his shoulders as he rushed to his room. He was so preoccupied in his thoughts, he bumped into someone. He uttered a quick apology without looking up as he kept walking.

"Leo?" Alopex's voice surprised him as he spun around. She looked a bit ruffled from being bumped into, but she didn't seem irritated at all. Instead worry filled her amber eyes. "You okay there?"

Leo opened his mouth, but felt it dry. "I can't tell you." He admitted, shuffling his feet. "I need to tell Karai."

A tinge of anger flashed through the fox. "You won't tell me, but you'll tell Karai?"

He quickly shook his head. "It's not like that Alopex. It's...it's super big." His voice dropped to a whisper. "It's about Karai's mother..."

Alopex's eyes widened. She wasn't clear on the whole story, but she knew Karai's mother had been murdered. But what would ruffle the turtle up about a woman that's been dead for years? "Leo what-"

"Just come back to my room. I'll explain there when Karai gets back."

Leo lead the fox back to his room, shutting the door behind him. He began to pace nervously, awaiting his sister's arrival as Alopex watched him warily. Normally she would threaten to bite him for being so fidgety, but concern replaced her usual irritation. It took a lot to make the turtle this nervous.

It felt like hours had passed when Karai suddenly pushed the door open, a frown marring her features. Lotus was right behind her, confused as well. Leo immediately stopped his pacing. Karai crossed her arms. "You look fine to me Leo. What's going on?"

"I..." Leo's mouth felt too dry. "You may want to sit down Karai."

The girl's golden eyes flickered with unease as one of her brows shot up, but she complied, sitting on his bed. "Okay? Seriously Leo, what's up?"

"Your call sounded urgent." Lotus said, still standing by the door.

Leo nodded, but couldn't find the words to continue. He took a deep breath, meeting Karai's eyes. "Karai, it's..." He swallowed, gaging her expression. "I was called by the Shredder awhile ago. There was this news story, about ninjas in New York."

Karai narrowed her eyes at him. "I get that that's weird Leo, but why are you so riled up about it?"

"It's not just any ninjas though Karai." Leo's voice was barely a whisper. "It was...Hamato Yoshi."

The reaction was immediate. Karai paled, her eyes widening as if she had seen a ghost. And in a way, she had. Lotus stiffened from her position at the doorway, brown eyes moving from the turtle to the younger human.

Alopex tilted her head, confused at the exchange. "Look, I sort of know the story but, who is Hamato Yoshi?"

Karai flinched at the name, causing Lotus to move to the younger's side, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Leo looked over to the fox. "Hamato Yoshi was the one who..." He paused, glancing back to Karai. "He killed her father."

The fox's ears flattened, watching Karai. Alopex and Karai didn't always get along that well, but concern for the human flooded through the fox.

"There's more." Leo said, surprising the three.

Karai blinked and met his gaze. "W-what more could there be?" She said shakily.

Leo wanted to rush over and gather her in his arms, but he restrained himself. "We're going to leave for New York in a couple hours."

A chill settled into the air as the teenagers regarded each other. The four hadn't been out of Tokyo, let alone Japan. Now they were going to go halfway around the world?

"All of us?" Lotus asked quietly.

Leo shrugged. "He didn't specify, but I know Karai and I are going for sure." His blue eyes returned to the shocked girl. "We need to get ready as soon as possible."

Karai nodded, taking a deep breath as she shakily stood. "Got it." She whispered before making her way towards the door, resembling a zombie as she walked. Leo and Lotus watched her with concern as Alopex regarded her with an unreadable expression.

Lotus turned towards the two. "I'll go with her."

Leo nodded at her, watching the two leave. He let out a troubled sigh, fists clenching at his sides. A furry paw rested on his shoulder, bringing his gaze upwards. Alopex gave it a slight squeeze. "You okay?"

The turtle shrugged her off. "Not really. But I will be." He buried his face in his hands. "This is all so messed up..."

"Yeah." She agreed quietly. The two stood in silence, not knowing what to say, but taking comfort from the other's presence.

* * *

Leo nodded to himself as he finished double-checking that he had packed what he needed. He didn't necessarily have a lot, just some extra garb, wrappings, and a variety of weapons. A ninja would be by to grab his things so he wouldn't have to worry about carrying the bag, only heading over to the airport with his family. With a final glance at his room, Leo closed the door behind him with a sigh.

The turtle noticed Karai's door open, prompting him to walk over. He peered in, seeing the girl sitting on her bed. She looked so small, nothing like her usual self. Leo stepped in and she looked up. "Oh hey Leo. Is it time to go yet?" Her voice sounded dull.

Leo shook his head. "Not yet. Someone will come grab our stuff and we'll head out." He sat beside her. "You need anything?"

"A nap." Karai sighed. "Maybe a rewind button."

The turtle gave her a small smile. "Sorry, I can't do that." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in.

Karai leaned into the embrace and sighed. "This is messed up."

"Yeah. But we'll get through this."

"I know."

The two sat in silence for a moment, before they both stood. Karai gave her brother a small smirk. "So you ready for a field trip?"

Leo scoffed at her, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't necessarily call it that, but yeah. I could use the fresh air."

"Well then let's get going. I can't stand being around mushy you for too long." She pinched his cheek, making him frown.

"I am not that mushy." He pouted at her, shoving her hand away. Karai merely laughed and walked away. He rolled his eyes. She was never down for too long.

"Hurry up slowpoke." Karai's taunting voice made Leo smirk. No one called a turtle slow.

* * *

The Shredder stood in front of the three, facing away from them. Karai and Leo were ready to go, just waiting on their father. Alopex stood nearby, waiting for them to depart. Lotus was no where to be found in the garage, worrying the turtle. He had wanted to say good-bye, since he wasn't sure how long they would be gone.

Lotus suddenly appeared, with a Foot ninja at her side, carrying several bags. Leo's eyes widened. "You're coming too?"

The older ninja nodded. "Yes. The Shredder believed my poisons and stealth expertise would be vital to have." Karai nodded at her while Leo gave her a smile. Having their older sister around would make it a whole lot easier.

The fox, on the other hand, looked miffed. "What? Lotus gets to go too but I have to stay here?" Her blazing amber eyes turned to the Shredder. "Am I not good enough to go?"

The Shredder turns towards her, narrowing his eyes. Leo shared a startled glance with Karai. This wouldn't be good... "You are to stay here and secure the Clan with Tiger Claw."

Alopex looked ready to snap at him, but Tiger Claw suddenly appeared beside her, placing a paw on her shoulder. "At ease. Your skills are needed here in Japan." The tiger turned to the Shredder, nodding. "All will be well here Master Shredder. I believe it is about time for you to leave."

"Indeed." The Shredder gave the fox a final glare before turning away. "Come." He started towards the limo, as the three going with him gave a final glance towards Alopex. Tiger Claw nodded at the three, and walked towards the elevator.

"We'll see you soon Ali-cat." Karai smirked at her. Lotus gave her a nod and smile, and the two girls followed after the Shredder.

Leo hesitated, meeting her amber gaze. He quickly ran over and hugged her, surprising the fox. "I'll miss you." He whispered quietly.

Alopex patted his shell as she leaned in. "I'll miss you too, but I need to ask you to do something for me."

The turtle pulled away, tilting his head in confusion. "What is it?"

She turned away. "Could you keep an eye out for the Kraang?"

Leo's eyes widened. "Wha-"

"I know it's crazy sounding." The fox cut him off. "But they basically left Tokyo and I just know they're still out there." Her amber eyes met his blue. "Please Leo. New York City is big enough to hide them like Tokyo has. They have to be there."

The turtle sighed. "You always say the craziest things." He smiled at her. "But sure, since you said please."

Alopex swatted him. "You are so cheeky."

Leo laughed. "True." He let out a sigh, turning around. "Well I'll see you soon." He gave her a final wave and rushed off, not wanting to be left behind. New York was waiting for him.

* * *

The plane was huge, but Leo hardly paid any attention to its size. His nerves were going haywire as he boarded it alongside his family. This was it.

The ascent barely bothered him as he peered out the window. Tokyo in all of its glory lit up the night sky, Mount Fuji glistening in the moonlight as a sort of backdrop. It was beautiful, he mused, looking at it fondly. A pang of homesickness hit him already. He didn't know when he'd see it again. _Be positive._ He told himself. No one was a match for his family. They'd be back in Tokyo before he knew it.

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his trance. Lotus's brown eyes regarded him warmly. "I'll miss it too. I've never been outside the country."

Leo gave her a small smile before looking back to the window. "I've never even been out of the city." He remarked quietly.

"Think of it like an adventure." Karai suddenly appeared, giving him a smirk.

"An adventure in another big city?" Leo scrunched up his nose. "More pollution and noise. Great."

Karai scowled at him as Lotus laughed. "That's not what I meant three-toes."

Lotus rolled her eyes, expression turning serious. "Just don't forget why we're really going."

"Like I could." Karai grumbled. "But it's no use being so down about when we're not even there yet."

"Only 13 hours then." Lotus smirked at her, making the two younger ninja groan.

"13 hours?" Leo whined as Karai grumbled "13 hours is too damn long."

The older girl rolled her eyes fondly. They were too impatient. "So," Leo turned to her. "How long do you think we'll be gone?"

Lotus tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure."

"I'd give it three months tops." Karai yawned. "We've got more than enough firepower."

Leo nodded, as Lotus rolled her eyes. "I guess that is one way to put it. But three months does sound appropriate. Perhaps I can find a few ingredients in New York for some poisons I've been working on."

"Sounds like fun Lotus." Karai grinned. "Nothing like deadly poison crafting to burn through time."

Lotus merely shrugged. "We have different senses of fun. You can waste your time off doing something troublesome."

Leo laughed, but Karai's glare shut him up. "You get into a lot of trouble too three-toes."

"Only because of you." He scoffed.

Lotus rolled her eyes. "Well you two have fun arguing. I'm going to get some sleep." She walked off, leaving the two who sat quietly for a moment.

"I hope we won't be gone too long." Leo sighed quietly.

Karai lightly punched his shoulder. "You have no sense of adventure, but I get what you mean. This would be a lot better under different circumstances."

"You think Alopex will be okay alone?"

"She's got the old tiger for company." The kuniochi pointed out. "I think she'll be just fine beating the snot out of everyone else."

Leo laughed. "True. But she better call." He crossed his arms as he pouted. "She never uses her phone."

Karai grinned at him. "I'm sure she will for her cute little brother." She pinched his cheek, causing him to glare at her. She merely laughed, walking away. "Well I'm going to take a nap too. Bye squishy."

The turtle rubbed his sore cheek while grumbling, returning his gaze to the window. He let out a sigh. Three months huh? He could do that. Just three months and all this would be behind him. Maybe they would all be happier, he mused, with Hamato Yoshi dead. The thought slightly perked him up as he nestled into his seat. Yeah, just three months and everything would be as it should back home.

But it wouldn't be that easy. Nothing would prepare him for what was going to happen. His life was about to change, and it would take longer than three months...

 **Uh oh, but hey, the story is picking up a bit. Also this is a short chapter compared to the others, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. If you did, I'd appreciate if you left a review or favorited/followed. It does improve my day!  
** **In the next chapter, we finally get to New York.**


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